In Another Life
by OnlyOneKebab
Summary: In a world where Anakin never fell, things are not as they should be. The devastation of the Clone Wars has left the galaxy weary, unwilling to acknowledge a new threat from Wild Space. Refusing to repeat the mistakes of her parents generation, former Jedi Leia Skywalker leads a breakaway movement. Old resentments resurface, and the galaxy threatens to fall apart at the seams.
1. Chapter 1

**This is a sequel to my previous story _You Have a Choice_. They can be read independently, but if you want a little more context just read the epilogue. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER ONE**

* * *

 _TYTHON_

"Jedi Knights, now are you, Leia and Luke Skywalker," Yoda's voice rang throughout the chamber. Everyone was silent out of reverence for both the ceremony, and Yoda's presence. He only came back to the Jedi Temple once a year for the ceremony, the rest of his dealings remained unknown, except for the fact that each time he came back more knowledgeable of the Force.

"For the choosing, stand." The newly-minted Knights rose obediently, synchronized with each other from years of training.

"Knight Luke Skywalker, discovered your calling, have you?" Yoda asked.

"Yes Master Yoda," Luke said calmly, a serene look on his face. "I wish to become a Jedi Consular." He had always wanted to study the mysteries of the Force, and with the wisest creature he knew, Yoda, as his instructor, it was a dream come true.

"Forward, step you may," the green alien said. "Knight Skywalker, a rigorous path, chosen have you. Not know, do we, much of the Force. Calmness within, have you. Serve you well, it will."

Relieved to hear Yoda's words of encouragement, Luke felt himself relax as he stepped to the right of the Jedi Master. He watched eagerly as his twin sister stepped forward at Yoda's command.

* * *

If Leia hadn't been so good at shielding, the others would have picked up on the borderline anxiety attack she was having. Everyone in the Jedi Order who ranked between Padawan and Master was present for the Knighting ceremony, and Leia thought her heart was going to jump out of her chest. Now was the time she was going to tell the Order that she would no longer be part of their ranks. And as if that wasn't stressful enough, her twin brother and her _father_ were there as well.

 _Why does everyone have to be here?_ she thought angrily, looking from her friend Zyrma, who had been Knighted an hour ago, to Master Secura, who had taken her on as a Padawan for eleven years. And the first thing she was going to do as a Knight to show her gratitude was leave the Order.

 _Do you really want to do this?_ she thought to herself. _You could be like Obi-Wan, and be a diplomat for the Order_.

 _Yes you do. You want to make policy, not enforce it,_ she argued with herself. She spared a look at her father, and seriously reconsidered becoming a Jedi Guardian. Her mother had said that her dad had butted heads with the Council himself, and wouldn't be angry if she left the Order. But what if her mother was wrong? And, her stomach clenched at the thought, what if Luke was angry with her too? He had always been so calm, what if her leaving the Order set him off? The two of them had never really been separated, always leaning on each other for support.

Her nerves were getting to her, Yoda was asking the dreaded question, what was she going to say?

"I wish to become a Senator in the Galactic Assembly," she said, sounding far more confident than she had expected.

"Leave the Jedi Order, will you?" Yoda said, his voice as lilting as always.

"Yes, Master Yoda," she said reverently, staring directly at him. She couldn't lose her resolve by looking at Luke now, not when she had openly admitted to wanting to leave the Order. Already she could sense the swirl of emotions rippling through the chamber, and didn't dare try to figure out which belonged to her brother and her father.

"For you, a fitting choice it is. Concise you are, strength in subtlety," Yoda continued. "Step forward, Knight Skywalker."

Leia bowed, a composed look on her face as she took the seemingly gargantuan steps towards Luke and Yoda. _Did Yoda just give me his blessing?_ she thought numbly as Yoda made his closing remarks.

* * *

Luke's heart stopped when his sister announced her intention to leave the Order. What was she thinking, giving up being a Jedi? They were the peacekeepers of the galaxy, what could she do in the Senate she couldn't do as a Jedi?

He looked to his father for guidance, but was shocked to see the faintest trace of a smile on his face. Had everyone lost their mind? Yoda was carrying on as if Leia had announced she wanted to be a Jedi Guardian, his father seemed _pleased_ that she wanted to leave the Order, and Obi-Wan was as inscrutable as ever.

The moment Yoda finished speaking hushed conversations broke out among the Padawans, and the Masters made a beeline for Yoda, except for his father, who enveloped the two of them in a hug.

"I'm so proud of both of you," he said softly, before stepping back. "I think your friends are waiting," he said, gesturing to the cluster of Knights that had formed in the corner. Leia gave him another hug before joining her friends, while Luke walked over to where Obi-Wan was standing apart from the others.

"What is she thinking? She's lived her whole life in the Order," Luke said.

"Leia is following her own path," Obi-Wan said gently, "the same way you are following yours. Are you sure your concerns are for her, and not for yourself?"

"Concerned about myself? What do I have to be worried about?" Luke asked.

"Life without your sister. The two of you have never been apart for very long. Perhaps you are worried you will not be the same."

"What? No, I-," Luke floundered.

"Quiet your mind. You're dealing with a very stressful event. Focus, Luke," Obi-Wan said calmly. Luke nodded and took a deep breath.

"I guess I'm just sad Leia will be leaving," he admitted quietly.

"And it is understandable. Forgive me, it seems Master Yoda requests my presence," Obi-Wan said, squeezing him on the shoulders before departing. Luke stayed where he was, still in shock from his sisters decision. She hadn't mentioned leaving the Order to him at all, and hadn't done anything to indicate she wanted to do anything else. She was always attentive in the lessons on diplomacy and politics, an avid learner. But paying attention in class didn't equate to abandoning the Jedi Order.

Looking over to where his sister stood among the group of Jedi Knights, he could already sense distress in their Force bond. Quickly, Luke walked over to see what was causing her to worry.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Zyrma asked, a hurt look on her face.

"I wasn't sure I was going to do it, but about a week ago it just became so clear I knew I had to," Leia said honestly.

"So you didn't say anything for seven days?"

"It was a big decision, I wanted to think about it," Leia countered. Her eyes strayed to where the gathered Masters were beginning to split up, some of them making their way towards her. Zyrma followed her gaze and scowled.

"I guess they're here to take your lightsaber," she said bitterly, before walking away. Luke moved closer to his twin to support her, sending feelings of calmness and reassurance along their Force bond. He felt it tighten as Master Secura came to a stop in front of them, unsure of what she was going to say.

"I can't say I won't miss you Leia, you've been an excellent Padawan," Aayla said sadly, giving her a hug.

"I'll miss you too," Leia mumbled, a growing feeling of sadness beginning to overwhelm her. Did she really want to give up the Jedi Order? She wouldn't have this sense of camaraderie in the Assembly, that was certain.

"Are you going to take her lightsaber?" Luke asked, Zyrma's words still on his mind. It had happened in the past, with Padawans who had been expelled from the Order.

"No," Aayla said. "You'd have to do something dishonorable to warrant that. And I just wanted to remind you that you still have the Order's support, even if you're not actively in our ranks."

"Thank you, Master Secura," Leia said.

"You can call me Aayla now, you're a Knight after all," Aayla teased. "Don't forget you're as well-trained as the rest of us."

"I won't," Leia promised.

"I'll always be here for you. Now I think it's time you go back to your family, that's what you get two days off for," Aayla said, a twinkle in her eye, "the next three are to make your life hell for leaving the Order."

She and Leia exchanged one more embrace, before the twins walked back to their father.

* * *

 _CHANDRILA_

Padme stared at the holo, watching the minutes tick by. Any minute her husband would be on-world with the twins, and her problems would fade to the back of her mind. It had been nearly eighteen years since the fall of the Galactic Republic, but the same problems that had plagued it were beginning to reemerge. Some days Padme felt like she was reliving the years before the Clone Wars. But the galaxy would never come to that. The Clone Wars had destroyed so much across the galaxy, no sentient would dream of taking up arms against each other like that again in their lifetime.

The holo beeped, announcing the hour, and Padme rose from her desk, excited at the thought of her family waiting for her at the apartment.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

* * *

 _Two Years Later..._

 _Alderaan_

Leia Skywalker took a long-awaited seat in her office, putting her head in her hands. The latest committee meeting had been disastrous, meaning there would be no more anti-terrorism task force on Alderaan. The New Separatist group was only growing bolder, and now the peaceful planet would have to organize their own army, something they hadn't done since the Clone Wars. No one in the government would vote for it, and no citizen would either. No one on Alderaan wanted to go back to those days, and Leia knew it would be a pointless battle.

A knock sounded on her door, and she leaned back in her seat.

"Come in," she said, her composure as flawless as ever. To her relief, the Jedi ambassador to Alderaan walked in.

"Aayla!" she exclaimed, running forward and giving her an embrace. The Jedi Master returned it, even though she had seen her former Padawan a week ago yesterday. She had heard from the grapevine that the dreaded committee meaning had been today, and she had sensed Leia's consternation as she approached the office. It would have gone unnoticed by most others, but their Force bond was deep enough to bypass Leia's impressive shielding.

"I heard the committee meeting was today," Aayla said, stepping back from the embrace. Instantly Leia's expression shifted from overjoyed to a sullen look, and she threw her hands up in the air in frustration.

"Can you believe it!" she exclaimed, beginning to pace around the office. "We stopped an attack on the capitol, _the capitol_ , by a group who can't get over the fact they merged with the New Republic, and the Senate decided it's not worth keeping the task force around! They're moving it to Raxus, which is preposterous! Oh, if Bail hadn't been there, I would have let them have it!"

"Have you thought of appealing to the regional council?" Aayla asked calmly. She was used to Leia's outbursts, and normally let her rant. It was better to have her get it all out than let it fester.

"I've already put in an appeal, but no one in the Core will approve it. None of them have standing armies, and I doubt they'd want a task force hanging around. Reminds them too much of the Clone Wars," Leia said bitterly. "Too much responsibility is going to fall on the Alderaan police force, they'll be overwhelmed." She stopped packing and took a deep breath, staring out at the city skyline. Raging in her office wasn't going to solve anything. If she couldn't cow the council into submission, she would find some other way. Turning back to her friend, she spoke again, her voice even and calm.

"I can tell you're not here just to console me on the committee ruling." Leia had sensed the slight apprehension in Aayla, and was certain she wasn't going to like what she was going to say.

"I've been recalled to Tython," Aayla said sadly. "Since the task force has been disbanded, the Council wants me back."

"So soon?" Leia said softly, moving closer to her former Master. "You could stay behind and help the police, they'll need it."

"This is between you, me, and the desk, but I think they're going to try to convince me to take on a new Padawan."

"I hope I didn't wear out your patience," Leia joked. "Oh Aayla, I'm going to miss you." The junior Senator moved in for another embrace. Even though she was no longer a Jedi, she loved working with Aayla. "This place won't be the same without you."

"I'll miss you too, Leia," Aayla said. "Remember, I'm always in your holo if you need me."

* * *

 _Ahch-To_

Jedi Master and Knight sat side by side, deep in meditation. The Force unfurled before them, its many threads and branches stretching across the universe, each twist and turn leading to a new possibility, greater knowledge, or immense power.

"Focus on your location, Luke," Obi-Wan said, sensing that the Knight was being overwhelmed by the vastness of the Force. It was not unusual, the boy was so powerful it was difficult for him to narrow his focus.

Luke took a deep breath, centering himself. The Jedi Temple they meditated within helped to anchor him, both to where he was, and the tether him to the Light Side. Beginning with his immediate surroundings and working his way out, Luke first concentrated on himself and Obi-Wan. The Jedi Master was a beacon of light, power radiating off of him in waves, in harmony with the Jedi Temple. Across the planet, Luke could sense clusters of the native Caretakers, who had maintained the Temple for millennia. Reaching further, their presences were dwarfed by those of other planets, Ahch-To only a small blip compared to the densely populated worlds nearby. Expanding his focus, Luke was amazed to feel the vibrations of all the galaxy. Mixing of light and dark on the Core Worlds, and the smaller, but bright lights of the Mid Rim worlds. And far away, Luke could sense the tremors of the Dark Side, no doubt those of Tatooine and Nar Shaddaa. But deep within, there was a more sinister presence, more concentrated than the others. Curious, Luke tuned in to it, trying to discover its origins...

Suddenly Luke felt as if he had been stabbed in the chest, keeling over in pain. He flew back from the dark spot, and slammed back into the wall, as if his soul had rejoined his body. Breathing heavily, Luke realized the sun had set on the aquatic world, and that Obi-Wan was up and moving about with haste. Seeing the young man was still on the ground, Obi-Wan hurried towards him, grabbing the young mans arm.

"You'll have to catch your breath on the ship," Obi-Wan said tersely, clearly disturbed by whatever the two had felt in the Force. "Something horrible has happened."

* * *

 _Florrum_

A ripple in the Force woke him from his sleep. Blinking slowly, Anakin tried to pinpoint where it had come from. The Outer Rim was tainted with the Dark Side, what with all the vile things done on Hutt worlds. But it was never this powerful, never so concentrated. Working in the region for many years, Anakin swore that it was the slightest bit darker every day, but he wasn't sure if he was imagining things or not. He wasn't exactly the most objective person when it came to the regions reputation, but this time had been something different, he _knew_ it. Something was gathering in the Outer Rim, hiding behind the signatures of the crime-infested worlds. But what was it?

"We've received a transmission from Master Yoda, sir," Commander Armadus said, interrupting his thoughts.

"Thank you, Commander," Anakin said, nodding in acknowledgement. He watched Armadus leave before playing the holo message. He without a doubt the message had something to do with the flareup moments ago, and didn't want any rumors to start going through the unit, not with the raid so close. Sure enough, Luminara was sending every available Jedi to Sullust. Looking between the display of Luminara and the diagrams of the detention center, Anakin weighed his options. He and his men had been planning the assault on the Zygerrian slave ring for months, and they were due move out tonight, taking the likely hungover slavers by surprise in the early hours of the morning. The raid shouldn't take longer than a day, from launching the assault to sending the criminals back to Chandrila for trial. If all the other Jedi were responding, Luminara likely wouldn't miss him for two or three days. And if she did, he could always say he didn't get the message until later.

"Armadus, are the ships ready?"

* * *

 _Sullust_

Luke stared at the carnage, unable to take his eyes from it. He had never seen such widespread destruction in his life, at least not man-made. The Jedi had done relief missions to areas destroyed by hurricanes and earthquakes, but the scorched ground beneath his feet changed everything. He had seen shells of buildings destroyed in the Clone Wars, and the amount of violence behind them had always been unfathomable to him. And this was far worse, an entire building brought to the ground, bringing lives to an end for no reason other than to cause terror. What disturbed him even more was the ease the Jedi Masters walked with on the rubble. Luke struggled to keep his balance, yet the others never wavered in their movements.

"How many were killed?" Obi-Wan asked, taking in the sight of the charred ruins of what once was a proud Jedi consulate.

"Thirteen, forty-six injured," the detective said grimly. "We secured the scene not long after it happened, and she's been in charge since," he informed them, jerking his chin in the direction of the Mirialan Jedi Master.

"Thank you, Detective Quanum," Obi-Wan said. "We are so sorry for your loss."

"Catch the _shlunga_ who did this," the Sullustan said gruffly, shaking the Jedis hand before returning to his men.

"Who could have done this?" Luke asked quietly, carefully watching where he was going.

"I believe Master Unduli has that information," Obi-Wan said solemnly, his steps as graceful as Luke's were shaky.

"Kenobi, young Skywalker, I'm glad to see the two of you made it," Luminara greeted them, the tone of her voice contrary to what she said.

"If only under better circumstances," Obi-Wan said, and Luminara nodded ruefully.

"We should have this conversation inside," she said, gesturing to a tent that had been temporarily erected as the headquarters of the investigation. An expression Luke had never seen before crossed Obi-Wan's face, giving Luke the feeling there was some sort of understanding between the two that he was not privy to. What sort of things could they not talk openly about in front of the police?

Once inside the shelter of the tent, Luminara visibly relaxed.

"The bombing took place roughly five standard hours ago, mid-morning local time," she said, walking over to a holoport. "Detective Quanum told you how many were killed and injured. It would have been far more, since the consulate was due to host a conference for the Youth Leadership League of the sector."

"Someone was targeting students?" Luke interrupted, shocked.

"It appears so. Fortunately the location was changed at the last minute," Luminara said. "However, the change was only known to a few at the consulate and the League's leaders, leading us to believe the attackers had help from the inside."

"Like the Temple bombing?" Obi-Wan asked. Luminara nodded gravely, a pained expression appearing on her face.

"One of the first officers on the scene found this and removed it before anyone saw it," Luminara continued. She retrieved a small disk from one of the tables and activated it. A holo display flickered to life, producing a six-spoked figure Luke had only seen in history books.

"The Empire?" Luke asked, puzzled. He looked to Obi-Wan for an explanation, but the Jedi Master was totally silent, deep in his own thoughts.

"The Imperial Remnant," Luminara said wearily. "It appears their supporters are growing bolder."

"You think there will be more like this?"

"It is very possible."

"We have to inform the Council," Obi-Wan said, breaking the silence.

"Of course, I-," Luminara began, interrupted by a shrill alarm emanating from her holo. She whipped out the holo, her face blanching as she read the alert.

"What is it?" Obi-Wan asked.

"The distress signal from the Temple."

* * *

 _Lothal_

The holonews display flickered with each drilling cycle, making it difficult to understand. But Padme Amidala didn't mind. The school was going to be finished in time for the next school year, putting the southern continent of Lothal on par with New Republic standards. All in a days work now, and she hadn't felt better in years. The New Republic was in good hands with Tynnra Pamlo as its President, and the Separatist-Old Republic tensions were long forgotten. Now forty-seven years old, Padme decided it was time that she did something different with her life, now that the twins were grown and the Republic was stable. So she had taken a position with the Relief Corps, a government-sponsored agency that was helping the galaxy rebuild after the Clone Wars. Anakin was never far, his work always taking him to the Outer Rim, and Padme no longer felt like she was herding Lothal-cats.

But now she was paying attention to the news, taking advantage of one of the 'quiet' parts of her day.

"Bombing...Jedi...dead," the report said, cutting out too much to get a coherent story. Instantly worried for her husband and son, Padme snatched the transmitter off her desk.

"Shut down the drilling immediately, get everyone in here," she said quickly, not bothering to wait for a response. The drill site fell silent seconds later, and the heavy sound of boots on dirt could be heard approaching the temporary building.

"A bombing on the Jedi embassy to Sullust has left at least a dozen dead and thirty-five injured, although numbers are expected to rise," the reporter said, her words quick and precise. "Two of the bombers have been caught, although their allegiances remain unknown. There are-," the reporter cut off mid-sentence, listening intently to someone in the studio. "One moment, please," she said, pressing her finger to her earpiece, furrowing her eyebrows in concentration. Without giving any indication of what she had just heard, the reporter returned her attention to the camera.

"Moments ago, an attack was launched on the Jedi Temple on Tython. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but we believe a Jedi has been killed, possibly two-,"

Padme didn't bother to listen to the rest of the report. Without a word to her colleagues she exited the tent, dialing her husbands holo.

* * *

 _Shaltin Tunnels Hyperspace Lane, Approaching Zygerria_

The moment the ship dropped out of hyperspace, Anakin's holo began to go off, incessantly buzzing and beeping.

 _What happened in the past thirteen hours?_ His holo hadn't gone off like this since the Clone Wars. Scrolling through the logs, he was astonished at how much he had missed.

 **Seven (7) missed transmissions from PADME.**

 **Thirty-two (32) missed transmissions from LUMINARA.**

 **Five (5) missed transmissions from LUKE.**

 **One (1) missed transmission from OBI-WAN.**

 **Six (6) missed transmissions from SHAAK TI.**

 **Two (2) missed transmissions from LEIA.**

Vaguely concerned he had missed the outbreak of a new war, Anakin hesitantly retransmitted to Luminara. He may have been a Master for the past fifteen years, but that didn't mean he had stopped getting in trouble.

Luminara's image flickered to life, and Anakin opened his mouth to apologize.

"Skywalker, thank the Force," she said. Examining her for any signs of anger, Anakin realized that she looked, _relieved_ , to see him.

"Stop whatever you're doing and return to the Temple immediately. There's been an attack, and you're the closest one. The rest of us are on our way," Luminara said briskly.

"An attack?" Anakin asked.

"I don't know much, I received the distress signal about an hour ago, we're taking off now. I fear the attack on the consulate was a diversion," she said grimly. "We'll be in hyperspace soon. Be careful, Skywalker." Her image cut out, and Anakin walked onto the bridge.

"Get my starfighter ready, there's an emergency," he said quickly, nearly running to the elevator bank.

"What about the mission, General?" Commander Armadus asked, breaking out into a jog to keep up with the Jedi Master.

"Everything is still according to plan, there's no point in wasting a opportunity like this. You're in charge until I get back," Anakin said, stepping into the elevator.

"Yes, sir," Armadus said, nodding in acknowledgement.

"One more thing Commander."

"What is it?"

"Give 'em hell."

* * *

 _Tython_

The wild planet appeared in Anakin's viewscreen as he drew closer, the new home of the Jedi a bright blue orb in the darkness of space. The approach to the planet was slow, as it was not connected to any hyperspace lanes, giving Anakin plenty of time to gauge the situation. Reading the planet was much easier than it had been when Luke and Leia were born, the Jedi having tamed it over the years. Already Anakin could sense fear and anger on the planet, and the cold, oily feeling of the Dark Side. He shivered at the thought, the long-forgotten signature reminding him of the time he had nearly fallen...

The Jedi Temple came into view, and Anakin steered his ship down to one of the lower hangars, hidden from view from most of the Temple. If the assailants were still here, he wanted to surprise them. In the early days of the New Republic, when criminals had believed the Jedi to be extinct or amateurs, it always amused him when looks of shock appeared on their faces, not anticipating one of the Generals from the Clone Wars to appear.

But whoever was attacking the Temple was no rookie, and Anakin wanted to preserve the element of surprise. Reaching out into the Force, he could find no foreign presences. There was a cluster of fearful initiates in the dormitories, and a dark, pervasive stain near the detention level.

An uneasy feeling in his chest, Anakin moved silently through the renovated Temple, keeping an eye out for anything amiss. Whoever had broken in was clean and neat, meaning they were very experienced. There were very few blaster marks, and even less signs of damage within the Temple. The hallway that led to the dormitories, however, told a different story. Activating his lightsaber, Anakin carefully examined the scene. Initiates were below Padawans, knowing only the basics of Makashi and Soresu lightsaber techniques. Judging by the height and accuracy of the blaster marks, there had been only two or three attackers in this part of the building, driving the Initiates back into their rooms. Sensing their presence, Anakin deactivated his lightsaber, gently knocked on the double doors, which he had no doubt were barricaded.

"Initiates, it's me, Master Skywalker," he said calmly, not wanting to alarm them. He heard hushed whispers behind the door, before it cracked open.

"Are they gone?" a small Rodian asked, his voice quivering.

"How many were there?" Anakin asked.

"Two, one of them had two blasters. They were talking to someone over a commlink, but we don't know where they were."

"Thank you. Stay here, and don't open this door for anyone else," Anakin said. "I'll be back soon."

Once the door closed, Anakin hurried down the hallways, heading straight for the detention center. The dark stain was impossible to miss, an anomaly in the calm sea of the Force. Turning down the corridor that held the cells, Anakin felt the coldness of the Dark Side chill him to core. His lightsaber at his side, he ignored the whispers from the Dark Side and all their false promises of power, focusing only on the mission.

His foot brushed something on the floor, the sound of metal on stone echoing down the hallway. Desperate to silence it, Anakin summoned the object to his hand, his blood chilling when he recognized what it was, a lightsaber. Taking greater care, the Jedi Master moved soundlessly down the corridor, the blue lightsaber the only source of light. He rounded the next corner, and his heart stopped at the sight, pure rage taking over. He knew who the cell had once held, and his blood boiled at the thought of his escape.

Aayla Secura and Jastus Farr were dead.

Whether Mace Windu killed them himself or his accomplices did, Anakin did not care.

Someone was going to pay.

All pretenses were gone, the Jedi Master tearing down the hallway, picking up speed as his anger grew. He followed the all too familiar Force signature of the Korun Sith, praying to the Force he reached him before he was off-world. The trail led him away from the Jedi Temple, which didn't surprise Anakin in the slightest. Any ship approaching the Temple itself would be picked up on the scanners. It was likely they landed in the forest near the Temple, making for a stealthier approach.

Racing past the trees, the Force signature grew stronger, and Anakin knew they were close. Their presence was masked by the wild planet, its unadulterated life forms hiding them. But Anakin would find them.

The Force called out in warning, but Anakin ignored it, plowing right into the clearing. One of the ships was already taking off, and he leaped up on it, using the Force to boost his jump. Landing on one of the wings, Anakin plunged his lightsaber into an electrical panel, causing the ship to bank hard to the left. As it began to fall Anakin leaped off, rolling up on his feet on the soft forest ground. He watched as the cockpit collided with one of the trees, an explosion destroying whoever was within.

Turning his attention to the other ship, Anakin brought his lightsaber up in time to deflect a blaster bolt. Two figures in armor jumped out of the ship, spreading out in an attempt to flank him. Easily recognizing the tactic, Anakin jumped high over their heads, bringing his lightsaber down on the man to his left, and deflecting a bolt back at the figure on the right.

A _click_ sounded behind him, and Anakin darted to the side, narrowly missing the blast from the ion cannon. Using the Force, he raced back behind the treeline, observing the ship from behind the dense foliage, dodging the blasts that the triggerman was firing indiscriminately. There appeared to be two men in the cockpit, and someone else was clearly firing the ion cannon. He wanted nothing more than to take it down the same way he had the previous ship, but the gunner was too good, he would never get past it.

Keeping the treeline between himself and the ship, Anakin began to meditate, something he had not done in a long time. Coming to a stop, he focused on the ship, taking note of every detail, of the power of its engine and thrusters.

His mind solely on the ship, he felt the anti-grav generators began to retract, the thrusters taking over, preparing to lift them out of the atmosphere. Furrowing his eyebrows in concentration, Anakin froze the ship in place, hovering roughly four feet above the forest floor, the ships thrusters pushing vainly against the invisible wall. The thrusters began to whine as more power was diverted to them, a bead of sweat trickling down Anakin's face as he fought to keep it stationary, refusing to let the killers get away. He could sense the panic and fear in the pilots as they tried to figure out what was wrong with the ship, flipping switches and levers in the cockpit.

The ground next to him exploded, sending Anakin flying into a tree. Before his vision faded to blackness, he saw the ship shoot up into the air, the overworked thrusters finally free.

* * *

Dazed, Anakin slowly lifted his head, bringing his hands to his face as his head began to throb. He remembered fighting two men, a ship was in the clearing...

The Jedi Master snapped up, looking around for any sign of the assailants. He must have been out longer than he realized, as much of the dust and dirt that had clouded the air had settled. The clearing looked otherwise peaceful, ancient trees standing tall next to craters of destruction. In the distance, Anakin could see the Jedi Temple, and that six new ships had appeared, fortunately friendly ones.

* * *

"Anakin!" Obi-Wan exclaimed, spotting his friend walking up the steps. He rushed forward, checking Anakin over for any injuries. His robes were filthy and scorches, dirt smeared across his face, and what appeared to be dried blood ran down the left side of his face.

"What happened?" he asked, "do you need a healer?"

"No," Anakin said quickly. A scowl appeared on his face, and he turned back to look at the forest he had just come from. "I chased the attackers to that clearing. I took down one of the ships, but the other one got away," he said bitterly.

"I'll take Luminara to go investigate. Go get cleaned up, you've had a long day," Obi-Wan said softly. He could tell his apprentice was angry at himself for his perceived failure. Even after all these years, Anakin still held himself to a very high standard. "The ship you downed has all sorts of information on it, transmission logs, travel charts, refuel locations."

"You are as optimistic as always, Master," Anakin quipped.

"Father!" a young voice shouted, and soon Anakin found himself enveloped in a tight hug. He grunted in pain, his left arm protesting the firm grip. Quickly Luke stepped back, running his eyes over his father to see if he had hurt him.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to," Luke apologized. "Do you want me to get a healer?"

"No," Anakin said. _Why does everyone want to call a healer_? "I'm just getting old like Obi-Wan here," he joked. A small smile appeared on his face, quickly overshadowed by a frown when he looked up at the Temple. This must have been where they entered, the scorch marks and caved in walls said it all.

"I think your father has had a long day, Luke. He needs to rest, we old men get cranky without our naps," Obi-Wan teased. Anakin nodded in agreement.

"I'm glad to see you're alright son. And if your mother calls, tell her I can't be reached," he said, a twinkle in his eye. Leaving the two to discuss what had happened, he made his way back to the dorms, remembering the Initiates were still up there.

Once out of sight of the two, he allowed himself to relax, the scowl returning to his face. In the distance he could feel the Dark Side gathering, discrete, but noticeable. After all these years of believing himself to be crazy, Anakin had proof that there was something brewing in the Outer Rim, but what it was he could not determine. For once, he wished he was crazy.


	3. Chapter 3

**Finally back! My update schedule isn't going to be what it used to but it will be done! I am writing on mobile so please forgive any errors.**

 **I also want to thank everyone for your support! It was great checking my email and seeing all your responses! Looking forward to more!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER THREE**

* * *

 _Sullust_

Leia dried her tears in the bunk room, her holo turned off for the first time since she had taken office. Luke had been the one to tell her the news, which made it slightly better. But that didn't change the fact that her friend had been killed by a Sith, or one of the vermin who had helped him escape. Rage flooded her senses once again, but she took a deep breath, getting her emotions under control. She could lose her temper later, for now, people were depending on her.

Confident she looked every bit the Senator she was, Leia turned on her holo, patiently waiting as it powered up. Flipping past the notifications she had missed in the past twenty minutes, Leia settled on her twin brothers connection, and started her transmission. It took a few moments, but the familiar image flickered to life, a warm smile greeting her.

"How are you feeling Leia?" Luke asked, a concerned look on his gentle face.

"Better," she said sharply. "I'm in the gravity well, has anything changed since I left Alderaan?"

"Not really, I only got here a few hours ago myself. Luminara is making a statement as we speak, there's a whole crowd gathered to see her."

"No leads on the suspects or where they went?" Leia asked, indifferent to whatever public relations work that had to be done.

"So far everything is the same. The two we found took their own lives before we could arrest them," Luke said sadly. "We were hoping you could help us."

"Alright. I'll talk to you on the ground, I'm getting close," Leia said, ending the transmission.

As the ship descended to the planet's surface, Leia was surprised at the amount of activity she saw on the lower levels. Luke had said a crowd had formed, but this crowd was moving, like a protest. As the ship passed the level, she heard shouting, but due to the cacophony of voices and the thick walls of the ship, she couldn't decipher what they were saying.

"We'll be there momentarily, Senator."

* * *

Luke watched the Alderaanian ship land next to the tent, his hair whipping in the wind. Yoda had allowed him to return to Sullust to meet his sister, knowing the two would find solace in each others company. But as soon as Leia was settled, he was to report back to Tython immediately. Luke suspected the Grand Master had sensed something regarding the bombings and was trying to decipher it, and that was the reasoning behind his instructions. Shaking his head, Luke cast away the thought. Force visions never turned out the way he expected them to, and the future was no different.

"Luke!" she exclaimed, rushing forward to hug him. He returned the embrace, closing his eyes for a moment. Even though Leia had been parsecs away from the blast, the fact that she was physically there and unharmed made him feel a thousand times better.

"Leia," he breathed, taking a step back and looking her up and down. Her presence was as commanding and regal as ever, yet she seemed different from when she was a Jedi. He couldn't quite place his finger on it. "You look so different," he said.

"I wear more practical clothing now, that's probably the difference," she teased, tugging on his robes as she said so. "I take it this is where all the evidence has been housed?" she said, gesturing to the tent.

"Always straight to business with you," Luke joked, walking back to the shelter. "Luminara knows more about it than I do, she never left," he said, his voice softening at the last part.

Leia looked around to make sure they were out of view of the press before grabbing her brothers arm, turning him to face her.

"You don't have to be here, you know," Leia said quietly. She could see her brother was troubled, just by looking him in the eye. "I can find my way around a crime scene. Go rest or meditate with Yoda or whatever you need to do. You won't do me any good if you're not mentally here."

Luke nodded, taking a deep breath. The entire day had been like going from one nightmare to the next. First the bombing, and then the attack on the Temple, father stumbling out of the woods...

"What?" Leia interrupted sharply, her eyebrows arched in surprise. "What happened to Dad?" she asked again, stepping closer to him.

 _I must have been thinking out loud again_ , a little voice in Luke's head said.

"Father was the first one at the Temple after it was attacked. He chased after them and he got injured. Didn't mother tell you?" Luke explained. The first person he had tried to contact was Leia, but she was in hyperspace, and mother had said she would tell Leia as soon as possible.

Leia mentally went back to when she had been checking her holo, and groaned when she remembered what she had seen in the logs.

"I was in hyperspace," she mumbled, more to herself that Luke. "Is he alright, was he injured?" Leia asked, her tone more urgent than before.

"He's fine, just needed some rest," Luke reassured her. Leia pursed her lips, clearly ready to say more, but shook her head.

"Lets go look at the evidence," she said, deciding on an option that wouldn't rile her up any further.

* * *

Luke meditated in a quiet corner of the tent, vaguely aware of Luminara and Leia talking in the background. Again he centered on himself, and when he was stable enough, he moved outward. It was like driving a speeder, easier each time he did it. But this time Luke's focus was not on the galaxy, but on his family. His bond with Leia was easiest to sense, her determination to catch the bombers and worry for their father coming in loud and clear. Further away he could sense his mother, worried and concerned for her family. And deep in the Force, his father, who was tired and... confused?

Puzzled by the emotions within in father, Luke pushed further, filtering out Leia's overpowering emotions, focusing on his parents, who seemed to be in harmony with one another. Gradually sorting out which was which, Luke had nearly separated them...

 _Luke_ , a familiar wizened voice said.

Startled, Luke leaned back.

 _Yoda?_ he asked. Only very few Jedi could reach out across the galaxy to those with whom they did not have a deep Force bond.

 _Come to Tython you must, little time we have_.

 _What's going on Master?_

 _Come, quickly_ , Yoda said, before their connection dissolved.

Unable to disobey the Grand Master, Luke rose quickly, catching the attention of Leia and Luminara.

"Is something wrong?" Leia asked.

"No. Yoda called me to Tython," Luke mumbled, making his way to the door flap.

Luminara exchanged a confused look with the Senator. Very rarely did Yoda telepathically communicate like that, only if the matter was very, very, important.

Knowing there was nothing she could do about the situation or make her brother elaborate, Leia cleared her throat, returning Luminara to the present.

"Where did you say the security footage cut out?"

* * *

 _Koradin Sector, Orbiting the Planet Sump_

Two Days Later...

Leia Skywalker stared at the underwhelming planet, trying to decipher what had caused two of the bombers to rush to the nearly forgotten world. Centuries of abuse by mining corporations had ruined the biosphere, and after the corporations had abandoned the world there was very little development left. Leia wasn't even certain there was a space sport they could land on for that matter.

"There's some life forms in the eastern hemisphere, but they all appear to be native species, no humanoids," Captain Lykan said. There were only a few of them on-board the freighter, keeping with the New Republic policy of subtlety when investigating leads with not much to back them up.

"Keep scanning," Leia said. Her informant had rarely ever been wrong, and this lead seemed too outlandish to be a rumor. Something had led them here, but _what_?

* * *

 _Tython_

Luke raced through the Temple, running to Yoda's chambers as quickly as he could. The chamber was a nexus in the Force, and Yoda frequented the spot to meditate. It was not unusual for there to be vibrations coming from the spot, but today they were threatening to overwhelm him.

As he reached the treeline, Luke nearly froze. It wasn't the vibrations that were overwhelming him. It was the Dark Side. Even more concerned for Yoda, Luke broke out into a full-on sprint.

* * *

 _Sump_

"Senator!" Lykan exclaimed, nearly jumping out of his seat. Leia rushed over, her eyes locking onto the display.

"What is it?"

"There's significant energy fields concentrated at the northern pole," he said, pointing to a cluster of red on the screen.

"Any idea on what it could be?"

"The only way to find out is getting closer."

* * *

 _Tython_

Luke burst into the room, nearly tripping over Master Yoda, who sat peacefully on the carpet.

"Join me, Luke," the wizened Jedi Master said serenely, turning his palms face-up.

"Master, the Dark Side-,"

"Do not fear it, Luke," Yoda said calmly. "Tempt you, it can. Overwhelm you, it cannot."

Unable to argue with the green alien, Luke sat obediently, directly across from the Jedi Master. When he said nothing, Luke placed his hands on his, preparing himself for whatever Yoda's trance might hold.

 _Smoke was everywhere, blaster bolts flying through the air. The distant whine of engines could be heard over the pounding hydraulics, and suddenly a ship flew overhead, dodging the fire. In the distance Luke could vaguely make out some sort of turret firing into the sky indiscriminately, trying to knock the ship out of the air._

 _The next sight was of Raxus, the former Separatist capitol world. Looking down on the capitol, Luke could see pockets of fire forming in parts of the city, a riot slowly expanding._

 _The scene changed, replaced by that of a space battle, a fleet of mismatched ships going up against a type of star destroyer Luke had never seen before. He could only watch as the mismatched fleet was picked off one by one, the opposition executing a ruthless strategy._

 _The vacuum of space was replaced a lush farm world that Luke did not recognize. In front of him stood a cliff face, a nearly undetectable bunker cleverly built into it. Without warning, the same mysterious ships arrived from hyperspace, descending into the atmosphere. The Force surged, and Luke felt the fear and apprehension of those inside._

 _The next vision was of Chandrila, the Senate Chambers to be exact. A cacophony of voices echoed against the sleek walls, making their words indecipherable. To Luke's horror, some of the aides began to throw punches, sending the gathering into chaos._

 _Again the image blurred, replaced by another location in space. A star destroyer sat parked by a rocky planet, the Dark Side emanating from it..._

Luke snapped out of the vision, panting from the onslaught of visions. He looked to Yoda for an explanation, but the Jedi Master still had a faraway look on his face.

"Yoda, what was that?" he asked quietly. The Jedi Master blinked, slowly turning to face Luke.

"The future, it was," Yoda said tiredly.

"That was the future?" Luke asked, shocked.

"Wrong we were, about the future. Always changing, it is. Time, there always is," Yoda said, his eyes returning to the distance.

"What do you mean?"

"The end of conflict, we thought the Clone Wars to be. Watchful, we must be. Complacency our greatest threat, is. The Force we must accept, not dictate."

Remaining silent, Luke tried to decipher the Jedi Masters words. Clearly there was a great threat on the horizon, another war by the looks of it. Were the Jedi going to be complacent and let it happen again, or was the vision warning them to _not_ do that?

"United by the Force, the galaxy is," Yoda continued, oblivious to Luke's confusion. "Acknowledge the present we must, or suffer, the future will."

"Yoda, please just tell me what is going to happen!"

"Their own lessons, each generation must learn. From Master to Padawan, from parent to child. In your hands, the future rests. Our mistakes, you must not make," Yoda said solemnly.

"You have thousands of years of wisdom to give to the Jedi Order, what are you talking about?" Luke protested.

"Look I so old to young eyes?" Yoda chuckled, lightly poking Luke with his gimer stick.

"No, of course not!" Luke said quickly, horrified and concerned by Yoda's sudden change in demeanor. Tickled at the young man's attempt to recover, Yoda gave him another light poke.

"I do, yes, I do! When nine hundred years old you reach, look as good you will not. Hmm?" Yoda chuckled, making his way over to his bed.

"Soon will I rest. Yes, forever sleep. Earned it, I have," he said calmly.

"What? Master Yoda you can't die!" Luke exclaimed.

"Strong am I with the Force... but not that strong! Twilight is upon me and soon night must fall. That is the way of things... the way of the Force."

"But we need your help! You saw it yourself, there's another war coming-,"

"Already know you that which you need. The lessons of the past, you have," Yoda said, pulling the blanket over him. The Jedi Master coughed, this one a deep and retching one.

"Yoda," Luke said, trying to think of a way to make him comfortable.

"Underestimate the Dark Side, you must never, Luke."

The Jedi Master stilled, his eyes closed forever. Reigning in a sob, Luke thought his eyes were playing tricks on him when the blankets suddenly fell flat. Reaching out, Luke patted the bed, wondering if he was having another Force vision. Realization slowly dawning on him, Luke rose from the bedside.

* * *

 _Sump_

Pilot and passenger were frozen in shock, the sight before them inexplicable. Foundries and drydocks stretched for miles, filling up the view from the window. It was military might the galaxy hadn't seen since Leia was born, and all those on board were astounded by the readings.

"Theres enough energy down there to build an entire navy," one of the technicians whispered, his words clearly audible in the silent ship. As if he had broken some sort of tentative agreement, the ship rocked from side to side, bringing the unsecured occupants to the floor.

"This planet isn't supposed to have a military!" the technician shrieked, grabbing hold of his seat.

"They do now," Leia said darkly. "Get us back to open space, we have to report this to the Senate immediately!"

* * *

 _Chandrila_

"What you're saying is preposterous! Leave things like this to those who know how to handle them, young one!" Senator Orn Free Ta said indiginantly, slamming his fat fists down on the podium.

"With all due respect Senator, it doesn't take age to interpret these readouts," Leia shot back, her temper rising. She would be naive to expect the Senate to take the information without some form of resistance, but this was ludicrous! Half of the delegation had called the readouts illegible, and the other half said the equipment was too outdated to be useful.

"Senator _Skywalker_ ," Orn Free Ta said disdainfully, "it is not unusual for a, _junior_ , senator to want to jumpstart their careers, but this is outrageous."

"How could I possibly fabricate munitions factories and drydocks?" Leia demanded sharply.

"Senators, Senators, please return to your seats," President Palmo interrupted, raising her two reluctantly followed her orders, both refusing to avert their glare from the other.

Padme Amidala looked on, a worried look on her face. The arguments were giving her a strong sense of deja vu, and she felt a knot forming in her stomach.

"Given the two tradgedies that have befallen our New Republic, I believe it is best for this intergalactic assembly to spend our time and resources deciphering who is responsible for the attakcks. Already we have credible leads within the New Separatist movement, and an arrest is only days away," the President continued, stunning the chamber into silence.

Leia Skywalker furrowed her eyebrows. She was heading that investigation, and hadn't been able to brief the President since she left for Sump. What was going on here?

"It is with great pleasure I introduce Senator Sullak from Byss, who has been a great help in-," Leia didn't hear a word the President said after that, her brown eyes staring down the slimy Senator. To everyone else he had the clean-cut post-Clone Wars look of ease that many envied, but Leia knew what a viper he really was. He had been assinged to the investigation as part of a PR detail, and must have used some sort of pucker factor to get the Presidents attention.

Fuming, Leia could barely contain herself as she stormed out after the dismissal. The nerve of some ofher fellow politicians! No wonder her father barely tolerated them! They were perfectly willing to sit by and ignore what was at the very least a strong lead so they wouldn't have to buck up and fight!

Not if I have anything to say about it, she thought as she rushed into her mother's office. The Lothal senatorial office was Leia's refuge when senators were persistent enough to bother her in her own office. The significantly smaller office was located on one of the higher levels of the Federal Building, due to its Outer Rim status and less significance to the Core Worlds. Her habit was known to many in the political world, but no one wanted to irk the mother of the New Republic. As a result of her mother's status in the new government, Lothal never wanted for any New Republic supplies or support, whatever they needed had a mysterious way of appearing on time.

"I don't know how you stayed in politics if things were worse than this before," Leia exclaimed, beginning to pace around the room. If she had been in her mother's position, she would have said 'kriff it' and fought the Separatists herself.

"Patience Leia," Padme said soothingly, watching her daughter walk across the room and back again from the couch. "They'll come around, I'm sure."

"What's there to come around to? The evidence is in black and white!"

"Many people lost everything in the Clone Wars, only the New Separatists want to go back to that era."

"Mom," Leia said, stopping to look around the room as if she expected someone to be eavesdropping. "This isn't just the New Separatists," she said in a low voice.

"What are you talking about?" Padme asked incredulously. Who else was capable of compiling so many resources so soon after the war?

"I saw an emblem as we were flying over the plants. I tried to get an image of it but by then whoever they were scrambled our equipment with magnetic interference. It was once I'd never seen before. I've cross checked it in all the databases, and there's nothing to be found."

"What does it look like?" Padme asked, suddenly skeptical. No one else in the galaxy was trying to stir the pot except the New Separatists. If this third party theory was true, they would've had to hide from the New Republic for decades, no a small feat.

Activating her holo, Leia projected the emblem she had recreated. It appeared to be some sort of circle with spikes, perhaps a redesigned Separatist emblem?

"Do you have any idea what it is?"

"Leia I think it's just a new symbol for the Separatists," Padme said apologetically, "I don't see it being anything else."

Leia shook her head.

"This is important, I just know it," her daughter said stubbornly. " Whoever they are, I know they're something bigger than the Separatists."

Padme nodded, while on the inside she was entirely unsure how such a thing could be possible. However, that didn't change the fact that a threat, whatever flag they were under, was rising up to attack the New Republic. Their fellow senators had fallen back into the pre-Clone Wars mindset, and it was only a matter of time before they were completely blindsided.

"I'll do what I can to try to talk some sense into the others, but I can't promise they'll change their mind," Padme consoled her daughter, placing her hand on her shoulder. "I may be more influential with the older ones, but there's a young crop coming in just like you Leia, don't forget it. You all are our best hope for change."

* * *

 _Tython_

It didn't take a Force-sensitive to notice the somber mood. Three pyres were prepared for the recently deceased Jedi, yet only two had white sheets upon them. Dozens of Jedi formed a ring around them, their candles casting shadows across their faces and the stone floor beneath them.

Obi-Wan Kenobi stepped forward, a grim expression on his face.

"We have lost two brothers and a sister these past few days, and it would be foolish to deny it has no effect on us. It is natural to grieve, but we must remember this. Why we lost them when we did we may never know, but nothing happens just because or by random chance. It is always the will of the Force, and we must trust it to guide us through these dark times. Yoda, Aayla, and Justus have all become one with the Force, may they rest in peace," the Jedi Master concluded, before walking over to Leia Skywalker and Kilas Sangro, Justus Farr's former padawan.

Each stepping forward to their former Master's pyre, Leia held back her tears as she ignited the logs, watching the flames spring up into the air and over the pyre. Aayla had been her mentor and friend for as long as she could remember, and the same people responsible for the Sullust bombing had murdered her. She wasn't going to let her master and friend go unavenged, not when the man behind it all was a Sith Lord!

Sensing a sudden ripple in his twin's Force signature, Luke sent out a calm presence, gently tapping on her defensive walls to make sure she was alright. Satisfied his sister just needed some space, Luke returned his gaze to the empty pyre that memorialized Yoda, pondering the Jedi Master's final words. The galaxy was going to see another war in the future, and Luke still didn't know why Yoda showed it all to him and not Obi-Wan or his father. Whatever it was Yoda wanted, he had to find it out soon.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

* * *

 _Alderaan_

Having followed Bail's advice, Leia had returned to Alderaan for a week off following Aayla's death, realizing that finding solace in her work would be impossible. Staring out at the waterfalls that fell down the cliff near the cabin, Leia mulled over options. Her closest friends had come to Alderaan to comfort her, but the more that came, the less empathy she wanted. What she wanted now, no, what she _needed_ , was to fight this coming menace. If the Senate refused to act based on events of the past, then she was going to have to take matters into her own hands.

As the first of the speeders began to roar up the mountainside, Leia rose from her seat, watching them carefully navigate the winding road. Tonight she hoped her friends would have more common sense than the Senate.

 _At least I'm not asking too much_ , she thought to herself.

* * *

 _Tython_

One Week Later...

"When will you be back?" Luke asked as his father tossed his bag into the starfighter.

"It shouldn't be more than a few days," Anakin said. "Telos is a long way away but I'm determined to get out of there as quick as possible."

"Why? Telos is a beautiful planet, I've always wanted to go there!"

"Unfortunately I won't be there to see the scenery. It's another one of the banquets your mother has to attend as part of her job. And this time she wants me to tag along."

"I would gladly switch places with you."

"Don't worry yourself, there's plenty of opportunities for you to see it without being forced to talk to politicians for hours," Anakin reassured him, climbing into the cockpit.

"Are you sure you're up to fly that long? Did the healers clear you?" Luke asked, eager to find a way he could get to see Telos. The look on his father's face was all the confirmation he needed, and Luke stepped back as the engines powered on, the gust of wind tearing up anything that wasn't secured on the landing pad.

"I'll see you in a few days!"

* * *

Once he was satisfied he was alone and would not be interrupted, Luke closed his eyes and focused on the vision Yoda had shared with him. Pushing aside all distractions, he commanded them to the front of his mind, paying close attention to all the seemingly insignificant details, trying to make sense of them.

Suddenly his vision filled with smoke, the sound of blaster bolts flying through the air. A lone ship flew overhead, and Luke thought his heart would stop. It was the recon ship Leia had been on when she had been hunting down the bombers, the same ship that had recorded what she had claimed were arms factories. Trying to calm himself, Luke began to sweat and felt his heart begin to race. These were the drydocks she had been talking about, this had _already happened_. If war and pain and death were the future of the galaxy, why did Yoda show him these visions? He couldn't do anything to stop this, it was too much for him!

Casting the smoke back, Luke pushed on to the next vision, one that was jarringly peaceful. He was looking down at a lush forest world, with a city thousands of miles below him. Pockets of smoke were rising up, dotting the landscape of Raxus.

 _Maybe this is where it starts, maybe this is where I need to go_ , Luke thought. There were no riots on Raxus, it made sense to go there now and see if he could stop the violence.

Slowly Luke began to pull himself out of the vision, watching as the images began to become more and more distant, drifting out of focus.

His back hit the ground, knocking the wind out of him. Coughing, he propped himself up, taking his surroundings into account. Everything around him appeared the same as he had left it, and Luke let out a sigh of relief. Now to find his way to Raxus.

* * *

 _Telos_

Two Days Later...

Waiting patiently for his wife to come downstairs, Anakin stared out at the lush landscape, before the setting sun disappeared beyond the horizon. Telos really was an amazing planet, with scenery that had no comparison across the galaxy. Except for Naboo, of course. A gala for regional governments was happening tonight, and Padme had made him promise to attend. Considering the events of last week, Anakin jumped at the chance to have a few days of just him and his wife. He loved his children too, and knew Luke was going to be alright, and that Leia handled things like that best on her own, just like he did. Besides, she was on Alderaan with all of her friends.

Fabric rustled nearby, and Anakin looked up to see Padme coming down the stairs.

"You look beautiful," he said, taking his wife's arm.

"Saying nice things about me won't get you out of the gala quicker," Padme teased, placing her other hand on his. "But if you really want to I can find reasons for us to stay on this gorgeous planet a little while longer."

"I wouldn't mind that at all," he said, kissing her softly on the cheek. Even after twenty some-odd years, it was refreshing to go out in public with Padme as his wife, and not as just a Senator.

"Tonight will be fun though, even for you. Most of the people here are from more modest worlds, they're not caught up in all the drama of the Core Worlds."

"I would hope so," Anakin said, thinking back to the Clone Wars. "But I promise I'll try to have _some_ fun tonight, even if I have to do it myself."

* * *

To Anakin's surprise, the evening was more eventful than he had thought it would be. The gala had turned out to not be a networking event, but rather an annual celebration of the leaders of some of the regional agricultural planets. In one night he had seen a demonstration from the Dantooine delegation on how to grow Java plants indoors, the Felcuians had shown off a glow-in-the-dark plant that changed colors, and the Lah'mu government had developed some sort of irrigation system that everyone else had seemed impressed with. Anakin had no idea what half of it meant or why it was considered impressive, but it was amazing to see nonetheless. And that had only been in the first hour. After that, the real festivities had begun. The Dantooinians had brought some home-brewed substance, and the Lah'mu had provided the music.

Over by the band he could see some of the others from Lothal beginning to dance, and Anakin rose, taking Padme's hand and leading her to the dance floor. As they began to waltz in time to the folk song, Anakin leaned in close.

"This evening has not been terrible," he whispered in her ear.

"See, I told you it wouldn't be so bad," she laughed. "Sometimes these are actually fun."

"I speak from personal experience, it is significantly less than 'sometimes'."

"It's not my fault Obi-Wan had you escort me to the one on Mygeeto, though you didn't seem to mind."

"Even if I wasn't there just for security, it still would have been boring," Anakin reasoned. The trip to Mygeeto had been the most boring of his life, and what had made it even worse was that it had been in the dead of winter on an already arctic planet.

"Don't worry, I've made sure Mygeeto isn't where we'll spend our summer vacation," Padme reassured him.

"You really are planning that?"

"Of course I am, especially considering what's going on. It'll give us time to cool our heads, and go in with a new perspective."

"And what is our vacation spot?" Anakin asked, still not entirely sure if his wife was serious. Since the twins had grown, they had always talked about taking a family vacation, but nothing had ever come to fruition. Luke was training with Obi-Wan or Yoda, Padme had a project to oversee, Leia had a taskforce to run, Anakin had a mission from the Order. The Skywalker family hadn't really come together since the twins had been Knighted, come to think of it. At least not for vacation.

"My first thought was Scarif," Padme started, pausing to chuckle when Anakin scowled, "but of course I remembered how much you hate sand. So I thought, why not Varykino?"

Surprised, Anakin was silent for a moment.

"Varykino? We haven't been there in ages. Not since before the war." Anakin fell silent, realizing how long it really had been.

"That's why I think it would be good to go back," Padme said softly. The music came to a stop, and slowly the couples dispersed as a livelier tune began to play, causing some of the younger guests to crowd together. The two moved off towards a balcony that overlooked the rolling plains below, looking out at the night sky.

"Is it any different after everything?" Anakin asked. He remembered the Battle of Naboo, but had no idea if that part of the planet had been attacked.

"Exactly like we left it. Although Sola told me Pooja broke one of the vases when they were there three summers ago," Padme said. "Paddy Accu is still there, if you still remember him."

Anakin nodded gruffly, memories of the past swirling up. As much of a hideaway it had been from the rest of the galaxy, it still reminded him of the time he had been under the influence of a Sith Lord, of the time he had nearly fallen...

As if thinking about it had brought him back, Anakin felt the cold, oily sensation of the Dark Side creep in, chilling the air.

"Are you cold?" Padme asked, wrapping her arm around him.

A switch flipped in his brain, and Anakin stepped back, gently pushing her away.

"Get back inside, something isn't right," he said, his voice suddenly harder than it had been seconds before. Shocked but trusting her husband, Padme went back inside, hurrying to find whoever was in charge of security.

Tuning out the sounds of the party inside, Anakin focused on the sudden dark spot that had formed, trying to figure out where it was coming from. Whoever or whatever it was had had some form of Force training, as they were able to manipulate their Force signature. Slowly walking the perimeter of the building, Anakin looked down at the ground below, the lights from inside the resort casting shadows in the grass. Whoever it was kept moving their signature from one impossible location to the next, making them impossible to track. It was neat trick, one that Anakin had learned when he was a Jedi Knight.

There was a sudden ripple from behind him and Anakin bolted inside as the first shots were fired.

Screams erupted in the ballroom as the guests scattered, trampling one another in their attempts to get out. Dust and smoke filled the air, fire alarms and sprinklers were going off, while blaster bolts flew aimlessly. Anakin ignited his lightsaber, deflecting them up into the ceiling. He sensed there were attackers at each of the exits, and wasn't surprised when the guests began to filter back into the room, taking cover behind whatever they could find. The attackers were shouting something at them, but it wasn't in any sort of language he understood.

 _Where's Threepio when you actually need him?_ Anakin thought grimly.

The door to the bathroom slammed open, a new round of blasterfire erupting as the gunman sprinted across the ballroom, making their way towards the center where he stood. Prepared to take defensive action, Anakin was relieved to see it was none other than Padme.

"Glad you decided to join me," he said, deflecting the attackers bolts as the ten of them began to open fire, using the Force to keep with their speed of attack.

"What's the plan?" Padme asked, skillfully taking out one of the attackers on the far side of the room.

"They're definitely experienced, surrounding us like this," Anakin said, trying to glean some information from anything from the weapons they used to a hint from the Force. "I've never seen that modification of carbine before."

"Custom made?"

"Has to be. Explains their experience, means they're serious about whatever they want."

As if prompted by their conversation, two of the attackers tossed aside their carbines and produced vibroweapons.

"I'll cover you to the bar," Anakin said, deflecting bolts back at the two attackers in their way. To his surprise, the bolts glanced off their armor effortlessly, embedding themselves in the floor below. Keeping his eye on the two approaching with vibroweapons, Anakin guided them both towards the balcony, their backs to the wall.

"Isn't there supposed to be security in this place?" Padme exclaimed.

"I believe they're already engaged downstairs," Anakin said grimly. One Jedi Master and one person with a blaster weren't good odds against twelve attackers from some corner of the galaxy.

"Stay as far back and as low as you can. I'll take care of these two as quick as I can," Anakin said, flipping over a table for cover. Satisfied it would be too difficult for anyone to get past him and the table to get to Padme, he charged the two with vibroweapons, taking note that under their armor they appeared to be humans.

The two moved with skill that was rarely seen from backwater terrorist groups, and Anakin kept a close eye on them, keeping the other gunman in his peripherals, deflecting whatever bolts came too close to Padme for his liking.

The first man with a red headband moved with precision and raw strength, making him an easy opponent to handle. The other, however, seemed to have a dramatic flair, and loved to embellish his movements with lots of flourishes and feints, proving to be a difficult opponent, even if they were not Force sensitive. Their fighting styles were drastically different, but they were somehow familiar...

Parrying off a blow from Red Headband, Anakin used his momentum to swing into an attack against the Dramatic One, who seemed to expect it and went for a shot at his legs, which he deflected just in time. He was vaguely aware of the blaster bolts that still rocked around them, due to their armor they had less concern on whether or not they hit friend or foe. A bead of sweat appearing on his forehead, Anakin knew he either had to eliminate Red Headband or keep him occupied elsewhere if he was going to keep as much attention as he needed on the Dramatic One. Not seeing anything to distract him with, Anakin paused for a fraction of a second and summoned some pieces of a table, sending them flying towards his attackers. Sensing incoming blaster bolts, he released his hold on the debris in the Force, allowing them to hit the opponents wildly. With a few swings of his lightsaber he sent the bolts back towards their casters, barely having enough time to bring his lightsaber to block the next blow. As he had expected, Red Headband was the first to strike, followed closely by his friend.

Catching Red Headband's blade under his own, he swung it up to block Dramatic One's, landing a kick in his legs for good measure, sending him stumbling back. Turning his attention, he waited as Red Headband went for an uppercut, only for it to be blocked and twisted back onto himself.

Pivoting to the side, Anakin was satisfied that Red Headband would not be causing him anymore trouble, as Dramatic One got to his feet, reevaluating his opponent as he deflected blaster bolts, looking for holes in his defense. He was so caught up in looking for holes, he didn't even realize a bolt made it's way into the chink of his armor.

"How many left?" Padme shouted from behind the table. The dust had yet to settle, and it was difficult to see anything that was more than ten feet away.

"Nine!" Anakin shouted back, gradually working his way to the attacker closest to him. If he opened up one exit he could try to get some people out of here, at least if the conditions downstairs were good. Moving faster than he had in years, the Jedi Master expertly moved around the ballroom, relying heavily on Padme providing cover fire. The attackers seemed to realize that their plan wasn't going to work, and began to retreat downstairs, Anakin close behind. Coming down the stairs, he could tell there had been a firefight between a few other attackers and the security detail, to the latters demise.

There were only seven left, and the other two were clambering down the opposite stairwell and bolting out the door. Either the two of them had chickened out rather late in the game, or had already accomplished their mission.

Keeping a close eye on the remaining seven's body language, Anakin circled around them, swooping in to disarm or dispatch them whenever he had a chance to. The few who had stayed behind didn't seem to have the same prowess in combat that the two with the vibroweapons had, and were relatively easy to deal with. He was moving in to disarm one of them when the man lunged forward with a vibroknife, nicking Anakin on his arm. The pain in his arm unleashed a frustration he hadn't realized he had been harboring, and Anakin pushed forward, sending them all flying into the wall, knocking them out cold.

"Anakin are you alright?" Padme shouted as she ran down the stairs.

"I'm fine, just a damn vibroknife," Anakin said through gritted teeth. Of course they had to cut a hole in his non-bionic arm. Of course.

"It's too deep, you need a doctor," she said, wrapping her shawl tightly around his arm as a temporary bandage, lightening her touch when she saw him flinch.

"Go see if anyone else was hurt, I'll go make sure they're all gone," Anakin said, pulling his arm away. Padme pursed her lips but didn't argue, hurrying back up the stairs.

At the bottom of the hill Anakin could see emergency shuttles making their ascent, and he began to clear the building, checking each room individually. Satisfied there were no other attackers waiting to come out, he began to examine the ones he had knocked out earlier. They had no insignias, the only distinction among them he had seen was the red headband from earlier. The armor was definitely expensive, and the weapons hard to come by. The group had a very generous benefactor out there somewhere, but what exactly did they want? To terrorize a regional gathering of farmers? It didn't make any sense.

Once the criminals were secure, Anakin climbed up the stairs, the effects of the battle beginning to take their toll. Each year it seemed it took him a little longer to recover from battle, and a few more places ached where they hadn't before.

Most of the guests seemed fine, a little shaken and a few with some scrapes and bruises from the attempted evacuation, but physically alright. Surveying the damage, Anakin noticed a black bag dumped by one of the exits. One of the men with the vibroblades had brought it in, he remembered that much. Looking around, he saw Padme was off with the others, guiding them away from where most of the battle had taken place.

Anakin knelt beside the bag, careful not to disturb it's contents. Inside he saw some impressive looking pieces of tech, including a holotransmitter. Turning it over in the palm of his hand, he turned it on and opened the call log, but was disappointed to see it had been wiped. Placing it to the side, his synthetic arm _clinked_ against something else metallic in the bag. Something large, it sounded like. Gently shifting the contents around, Anakin's face contorted in horror at the site.

"Everyone get out! Bomb!"

Not another word needed to be said, anyone who was still in shock snapped to their senses and clamored to get out.

Looking down, Anakin knew they had only seconds to spare, hardly anytime.

Closing his eyes and focusing, he barely heard his wife shouting his name.

* * *

Hours later at the hospital, Padme thought she would surely go insane if someone didn't come and talk to her soon. She had already called Luke and Leia, and they were on their way, but what good would it do if they still didn't know anything?

Getting up from her seat to pace again, Padme shivered as she thought back to the horrific ending of the gala. She remembered the eerie calm in Anakin's voice as he shouted for everyone to get out, and trying to push through the crowd to get to him, to help him. Then there had been that awful explosion, and she had seen him go flying back through the air. The emergency vehicles had already been on their way, and he had been one of the first ones to the hospital, thank the Force.

Shaking her head, she pushed the thoughts out of her head. Thinking of what had already happened wouldn't do any good, she had to focus on the future. She knew Telos had decent medical facilities, good enough to satisfy the millions of tourists who came to the planet each year. But Naboo offered so much more, or any number of the Core Worlds that were much closer. If Anakin had to be moved she would take him to Naboo if she could, it would be the best for him she was sure. But what if...

 _Don't think about that_ , she scolded herself. As if on cue to distract her, the doors to waiting room slid open, and her two children ran into her arms.

"Mom you're alright," Luke breathed, his chin resting on her hair.

"Yes," she answered, pulling them closer.

"How's dad?" Leia asked, pulling away.

"I haven't learned anything new since I called you, they've been with him since I got here."

"Mom it's been nearly a day!" Leia nearly shouted, beginning to pace.

"It's been...," Padme paused to look at the clock, "sixteen hours."

"That's-," Leia started but fell short at the sight of an exhausted looking doctor entering the room.

"Mrs. Skywalker," he said, slightly inclining his head. "I've got some good news and some bad news. The good news is that your husband is stable, and doesn't seem to be in any immediate danger. However, he is still in a coma, and we have no projections on when he'll wake up."

Padme cupped a hand over her mouth, and Luke wrapped his arm around her, while Leia glared at the doctor.

"Can you tell us _why_ he's in a coma?"

"Ma'am, we can find no physical reason for it, aside from the trauma he recently went through."

"Dad's been through so much worse, and he's never gone into a coma," Luke argued.

"Yes, but there's a strange thing we can't explain. He seems, drained. His heart rate is low, his blood pressure is low, his brain readings are indicative of cognizance but for some reason he is just, asleep."

Leia scowled but didn't say anything more, instead turning to comfort her mother.

"Thank you doctor," Luke said, guiding his mother over to one of the chairs. Once she sat down, Padme began to cry, and Luke had a hard time not crying as well. All the times his father had gotten a little too close, all the times he had given them a scare, from fighting in the Clone Wars to battling the Sith, and he was put in a coma by some terrorist group that didn't even have a name?

"Mom it'll be alright, Dad always pulls through in the end," Leia said reassuringly.

Again the door slid open, and Obi-Wan and Bail Organa walked in, shocked to see Padme so distressed. Dread appeared on both their faces, and Leia rose, explaining to them what happened in a low voice.

"Leia, I'm so sorry," Bail said, enveloping her in a hug. Obi-Wan voiced his sympathies as well, before leaving to comfort Padme and Luke.

"He'll be fine, I'm sure of it," she said, more for herself than Bail. "Do you have any idea who's done this?" Bail bristled at the question, and gently stepped away, guiding her to the other side of the room.

"It's actually part of the reason I was able to get here so quickly. It's already prompted a Senate investigation because of the members in attendance, and I was appointed lead investigator given Alderaan's past eagerness to investigate such events," he said, Leia ever so slightly smiling at the playful jab. "But I came straight here once I got your mother's message. Your father wasn't added to the guest list until the last minute, so we've been trying to keep that information strictly need-to-know."

"Thank you," Leia said, shivering at the thought of the entire galaxy knowing her father's condition.

"I am afraid I must be going, they'll start to wonder what's been keeping me. Give your mother my best." Giving Leia one last hug, Bail said a few words to Padme before departing, his worried eyes barely leaving the two of them.


	5. Chapter 5

**I want to thank everyone for their support for this story! Reading reviews really helps when it comes to figuring out what to write!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER FIVE**

* * *

 _Chandrila_

As the politicians crowded to get out of the Senate Chambers, Leia Skywalker stood in the center of the walkway, turning to give the Senate Building one last look. It wasn't unusual for junior senators to be more enamored with the enormity and grandeur of the building than their more senior counterparts. But this time was different, because Leia knew she wouldn't see the Senate building for a long time, if she wasn't arrested for treason at least.

The session had been an emergency one regarding the attack her parents had been in, and she hadn't been oblivious to their stares. Even now a few seemed tentative to approach her, but lost their nerve at one steely glare. Her mother had decided to keep her father's true condition a secret, instead saying he was returning to the Jedi Temple to recuperate and instruct Initiates. A good enough lie for the galaxy to believe, it seemed. Shaking her head, Leia turned back and blended in with the crowd, replaying the session in her mind's eye.

 _Obi-Wan Kenobi had sat with the Alderaan delegation for moral support, the official story being that he had been one of the first to arrive on the scene and was assisting Bail Organa with the investigation. One by one they were called up to report their findings, each reporting the same thing more or less. A group of terrorists had attacked the regional agricultural convention, one of the attendees had been killed in the crossfire, unfortunately. Anakin Skywalker had sustained a minor injury, and the rest were merely scrapes and bruises. The building had been evacuated before anyone could get hurt. Who the group was and what they wanted was a matter of pure speculation, as those they had in custody expressed no motive before they had managed to take their own lives, and they wore no distinctive marks. The men and women who had attacked the gala were only identified as coming from a few worlds, namely Raxus and Serenno. After that discovery had been announced, pandemonium had erupted on the Senate floor._

 _"It's the Separatists coming back for more!" the senator from Hosnian Prime had shouted into his microphone, startling the assembly._

 _"That's ludicrous! There's no evidence! You all just use the Separatists as scapegoats for everything!" the Raxus representative shouted right back._

 _"Oh please the similarities are too obvious. The Jedi even said the bombs were too similar to be a coincidence."_

 _"There was no calling card this time," the Raxan had countered._

 _"Doesn't mean_ you're _innocent."_

 _"And what's that supposed to mean?"_

 _"Everyone please calm down!" Pamlo had exclaimed, raising her hands. "We can resolve this peacefully."_

 _"The same way the Secession was handled?" the Felcuian senator snarled._

 _A collective gasp was heard in the Senate chambers at the use of the Separatist-sympathizer name for the Clone Wars._

 _"How dare you-!" Cham Syndulla began, silenced by one of his fellow Rylothians placing their hand on his shoulder._

 _"I think what my colleague was trying to say-," Orn Free Ta began before the quarreling voices drowned out his booming voice._

 _The scene was one of chaos. Senators were fighting among members of their own delegations, their arms flying and mouths unleashing the worst insults their planet had to offer. Screams began to ring out as a fistfight was started between Syndulla and an Iridonian, the altercation only coming to an end when security arrived. Leia looked on in shock, making eye contact with her mother who was several decks above. Padme shook her head, and rose, her pod hovering to the center of the arena._

 _"Senators," she said, her voice soft yet firm, rising above all the noise in the room. Instantly the room fell silent, as if a spell had fallen over them. "Have we really fought a long and bloody war to return to where we started? There is a new threat to our Republic, and it does not fly under an adversarial flag. It comes from within us. If we cannot move beyond our past difficulties, we will only wind up in the same place we started in."_

 _It had been many years since Padme had addressed the Senate for anything besides Lothal matters, and the entire Senate body froze, trying to process her words._ _Returning to her seat, Padme acknowledged Tynnra Pamlo's grateful nod._

 _"Now, if we can return to business..."_

Leia shook her head. Clearly the galaxy didn't care what track it went down, as long as they could say 'I told you so' in the end. And now with her own father caught in the crosshairs, and very nearly her mother, Leia was not going to roll over and let this new enemy have their way.

* * *

 _Naboo_

Two Days Later...

Quietly Luke sat down beside his mother, placing a cup of tea at her side. Officially his mother had taken a vacation to relax from the events on Telos, but in reality she had been escorting her husband from Telos to Naboo, and now they were in Naberrie Manor, waiting for the driver to take them to the hospital.

"Aunt Padme please let me know if there's anything I can do," Ryoo Naberrie said, giving her aunt and cousin another hug before she left for the day.

"You've done enough already sweet heart," Padme reassured her, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"I'll see you tonight at seven, don't worry about dinner!" she called from the living room.

The room fell silent as Ryoo turned on the holonews in the living room and the murmur of voices could be heard all the way in the dining room.

"When did the doctor say dad could have visitors again?" Luke asked. He had had so much on his mind lately, between the second bombing and his visions, he barely remembered anything.

"Anytime after breakfast and before dinner, but I don't think he'd mind if we came a little earlier," Padme said wearily. "It could be different though, since he's just been transferred today."

There was a yelp from the living room, interrupting their conversation.

"Ryoo, everything ok in there?" Luke asked, getting up from the table.

"Aunt Padme! Luke! Get in here you _have_ to see this!" Ryoo shouted, the two of them bolting from their chairs.

Her figure blue and translucent, Luke was at first confused why he was looking at a holo image of Leia. Her hair was in a braid that sat like a crown on her head, and she wore a jacket and pants that looked more like she was going into battle than addressing the galaxy. And was that a holster, a blaster on her hip?

"I don't-," he started but Ryoo shushed him.

"My dear fellow citizens of the Republic. We can no longer sit by and pretend the Senate's inability to act is an acceptable course of action. Our own people have been killed, and more will die if we continue to do nothing. There is a group threatening this galaxy, and we will not sit by and let them take us by surprise. The fact that we have lost communication with an entire _system_ , regardless of it's affiliation, is unacceptable. We will no longer wait for others to our jobs, and are taking matters into our own hands. Today myself and many others across the galaxy are forming an alliance to protect both ourselves and the galaxy we swore to protect."

Leia's image flickered out, and the entire room looked on in silence, each person waiting on the others to say something.

"No wonder she's been so distant lately," Padme murmured, breaking the silence. Already in her mind she was running through the possibilities of what sort of plan Leia had, what she herself would do in that position, what was going to happen to her family now that Leia had denounced the Republic-

"Don't worry Aunt Padme, Leia's one tough cookie, she'll be alright," Ryoo reassured her, giving her a gentle embrace.

"The Senate isn't going to like this, they'll want an inquiry on everyone who's ever so much as walked by an Alliance member on the street-,"

"And we can always go to Tython if things get too bad," Luke said.

A honk sounded outside, pulling everyone from their thoughts.

"Come on Luke, it's time to go visit your father."

* * *

The ride to the hospital had been silent, Padme and Luke each lost in their own thoughts. They had barely gone a mile before Padme's holo had begun to erupt with notifications, forcing her to turn it off for any hope of peace and quiet. Padme's thoughts went straight to her son and daughter and husband, wondering what the turn of events meant for each of them. Luke should be alright, the Jedi had learned to keep their distance from politics, and she prayed the same would be true for her husband. And Leia, what had she gotten herself into? No doubt someone was already out for blood, an arrest warrant was undoubtedly already being printed, if not already signed. The real question was who would side with the Alliance. She knew other systems had been somewhat doubtful of the supposed insignificance of the bombings, but what sides would form was unknowable at this point.

As the the hospital came into view, Padme prayed that her husband would recover soon. She needed him now more than ever, with Leia going underground all that was left of the Skywalker was family was her and Luke. She just hoped none of the other Senators would sense the blood in the water.

The door to her husband's hospital room slid open, and Padme felt her heart drop at the sight. He looked the same as he had before she had left Telos. His skin was deathly pale and sunken, the heart rate monitor moving much too slow for comfort. The doctors swore they couldn't find anything wrong with him, and had no idea why he looked the way he did. It only made Padme more worried for her husband, and because of that she had asked Obi-Wan to come see him and see if there were anything wrong with him from the Force side of things. It was the only thing she could think of if the doctors couldn't find anything physically wrong with him.

"What's the matter Luke?" Padme asked, seeing the frown on his face.

"I don't know, something just feels... different." He shook his head and sat back down, looking puzzled. They waited in silence for a few more moments, Padme holding Anakin's hand, when the door slid open again.

"I apologize, I was held up," Obi-Wan said, making his way to Padme's side. "How are you Padme?"

"I've been better," she said bluntly. "Are you alright?" she asked, noticing he had the same look Luke had earlier.

"His Force presence, it's never been this weak," Obi-Wan said, furrowing his eyebrows as he moved closer to the bed. During the Clone Wars Anakin's Force signature had been harder to detect than he would have liked at times, but this was different. If Obi-Wan hadn't known Anakin was going to be at this hospital, he wasn't sure if he would have been able to find him at all. It was like Anakin was almost cut-off entirely from the Force, only attached by a string.

"What do you mean?' Padme asked.

"What are you talking about? I can sense him right now," Luke countered.

"I'm afraid it's just our minds filling in the blanks for us. Luke your father's presence has been with you your whole life, so naturally when it's weaker than normal, or in this case far weaker, your mind uses what you _know_ to fill in the blanks for what you should be able to _feel_. I doubt I would have noticed it myself if...," Obi-Wan trailed off, lost in his own train of thought.

"And the doctors say they can't find anything wrong with him?" he said, his voice suddenly quieter than it had been before. Padme nodded, looking up at him for an explanation.

"Do you know something they don't?" Luke asked. Obi-Wan shook his head, racking his brain for something that could explain his friends condition. It felt so unnatural, their Force bond being reduced to an ember when it had once been bright as a searchlight. It had been one of the constants of his life during the Clone Wars, and each waver he felt from Anakin had troubled him greatly. And now he was completely silent, unresponsive to any signal sent. It was incredibly rare for someone to lose such connection to the Force and not become one with it, Obi-Wan vaguely wondered how Anakin was still alive. Then again, his former apprentice did have a knack for making it out of the most harrowing situations relatively unscathed.

"Whatever it is, the only place that would have information that could help us is the Jedi Archives," Obi-Wan said.

"Do you think father should go to Tython if he is having trouble staying connected to the Force?" Luke asked. The planet was well known for it's exceptional connectivity to and strength in the Force. To him it seemed to be the logical solution to the problem.

"No. Until we know what troubles him, taking him there could overwhelm him and make things worse," Obi-Wan said. Dejected, Luke leaned back in his chair, trying to think of how he could help his father.

"Luke, I think you should go back to Tython," Padme said, breaking the silence that had fallen over the room.

"I can't, not when dad is-,"

"Your father will be alright. The doctors and Obi-Wan have said he's stable for now. I swear if anything changes I will let you know at once, but right now I think it's best if you help Obi-Wan with his research. It appears that's the only thing that can help your father now," Padme said ruefully.

"She's right. Your father's situation is unique, but not unstable. You'll do the most good helping me on Tython, you went through your studies far more recently than I did, you'll remember details I've long forgotten."

Hemmed into a corner, Luke begrudgingly agreed, rising to give his mother a goodbye hug.

"I love you, mom."

"I love you too, Luke," Padme said, giving him a kiss on the cheek. As he waited in the hallway, Padme turned to Obi-Wan.

"Thank you."

"I'd do anything for your family, you know that," Obi-Wan said. "I'll be back in a few days to check in."

"I'll see you then," Padme said, giving a farewell hug as well. Once she was alone, she took a seat next to Anakin, taking his hand.

Luke's heart was in the right place, wanting to be there for his father when he woke up. But she knew he would get frustrated by having nothing to do but wait in the mean time. It was the best for him to go and help Obi-Wan, he really was a brilliant student when he put his mind to it, she had no doubt he would find something that would help. It also didn't hurt that he would be halfway across the galaxy for the Senate session that would take place tomorrow. On the ride to the hospital, Padme had been notified of another emergency session regarding the new movement that called itself the Rebel Alliance. No doubt her visit to Chandrila would be very informative regarding the true stances of some of the systems, but she also knew she would be walking directly into a political maelstrom.

 _Oh Anakin, if only you were here._

* * *

 **Poll time. Would you prefer shorter chapters with slightly more frequent updates, or keep the chapters the length they are already?**


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

* * *

 _Tython_

The ride to Tython was painfully quiet for Obi-Wan, trying to get Luke to speak when he had a lot on his mind was no small feat. However the Jedi Master knew better than to press his luck with the youth, and allowed him to mull over whatever he was thinking about.

Luke Skywalker had quite a bit to think about. For starters, his sister had started what could either be seen as a rebellion or terrorist movement, depending on who you asked, his father had been placed in a coma by some sort of Force disease, and his mother, the founder of the government that had been in existence as long as he had, was going to have to face that government all by herself. He felt so guilty leaving her alone to go to Chandrila by herself, but he had recognized his dismissal, and had obediently gone with Obi-Wan to try to find the cure for his father.

The ship hissed as the anti-grav thrusters engaged, the craft settling onto the landing pad gently, as if it knew of the somber mood on board. Wordlessly the two Jedi rose to depart, Obi-Wan discreetly trying to get a read on his apprentice. Sometimes it struck him as so bizarre that Anakin's son could look so much like him, but the two were very different people. Anakin's presence was like a supernova, bright and flaming and impossible to miss, while Luke's was like a surging river. Deceptively calm on the surface, but there was sheer power rippling just underneath.

"Where is everyone?" Luke asked, noticing the Temple grounds were unsettlingly quiet, even by Jedi standards. Obi-Wan frowned and pulled out his holo, wondering if he had missed an announcement.

"The emergency session is today," he said, his voice grim. "Everyone will be under the atrium."

"Well, let's join them."

* * *

 _Chandrila_

Padme Amidala took a deep breath, reigning in the last of her nerves before she stepped in front of the hordes of photographers. This was the Republic she had helped create, that she had served for over twenty years, and now she had to stand before them as the mother of the leader of a breakaway movement. Her past achievements meant nothing in the eyes of the public, and many of the former Separatist worlds were certainly out for blood.

 _Oh Mina, I wish you were here,_ she thought. It had been many years since she had thought of her former mentor. The galaxy had lost so many honest politicians during the Clone Wars, they had been the only ones willing to take a stand.

"We're here ma'am," the driver said, coming to a stop in front of the Senator entrance. Here the press was kept at bay, but barriers meant nothing to some of them.

"Off we go," Padme muttered.

* * *

She could feel everyone staring at her in one way or another, whether they tried to hide it or not. No one ever bothered to look above the fourth row of pods, so when all the sentients in the room were staring up at the top row, it was certainly atypical. Fortunately no one from her own delegation had been anything but courteous to her. Maybe the Force had been guiding her when she decided to represent a world that had been neutral in the Clone Wars.

The lights dimmed and the President's stand began to rise, bringing the auditorium to nearly complete silence. Padme's expression remained inscrutable though, her attention solely on President Pamlo.

"Senators, we are here because the fate of our young Republic is at risk. Already groups from our past have tried to tear it apart, growing more and more aggressive as the years go by. And the fault lies not in just one, but many groups. It is our sworn duty to bring an end to this bloody conflict, and may it be successful." Satisfied with the closest she would get to silence, Pamlo nodded to the Byss delegation.

"I think I speak for many systems here when I say that the former Separatist worlds are tired of being the scapegoat for all of the New Republics problems," Senator Sullak said, instantly causing an uproar among the Senators. Many of the old Separatist worlds began to cheer with the Republic worlds booing and stamping their feet, hoping they would be heard above everyone else.

"Republic membership is voluntary, if you don't like it you can leave!" shouted Senator Baobab from Manda.

"And be attacked by Leia Skywalker's band of vigilantes?" Sullak sneered.

"Next time you don't like something speak up instead of blowing something up!" Baobab shot back. Combined with the jeers and cheers from the crowd, the two men seemed to give up entirely on diplomacy, and the Baobab lunged from his pod, landing on top of Sullak. The others in the Byss delegation pulled him back, but the man broke free, taking a punch to the face.

Padme looked on in horror, wondering how it had all come to this. How could democracy last for thousands of years, yet nearly collapse twice in her lifetime? Now more than ever she wished she had just run off with Anakin and forgotten all about this mess.

 _But who would you be if you did that?_ she thought to herself. As she watched the two be carried out by security, she stood and detached her pod from the dock, floating in front of the senators who were otherwise distracted by the sudden eruption of violence.

"Senators, we can either be distracted by our differences, or focus on what we share. The fact of the matter is we have lost contact with a sector...," Padme trailed off, realizing no one was paying a lick of attention to what she had to say.

"How dare you call Senator Skywalker's group vigilantes! They're protecting us! Mon Calamari stands with them!" Thousands of other voices clamored to be the loudest, either in agreement or disagreement.

"Then how do you explain this?" Rlyo Kundari hissed. "The same warships that attacked the Subterrel system are the same type Senator Skywalker identified as 'enemy ships' in her little excursion. She's the real menace that needs to be stopped."

"How in the galaxy do you figure that?"

"It's obvious. She's using them as a false flag operation to impose martial law on the former Separatist worlds! And if we don't comply her other little group will come after us!"

"You're insane!"

"Subterrel is unaffiliated, what good would it do to invade them?"

"How should I know? I'm not a psychopath!"

* * *

 _Hoth_

Leia Skywalker looked on in shock at the display. It would be comical if it were in a film and not reality. The conversation had only gotten worse, shifting to accusing her of treason, Alderaan being labeled as a terrorist world, and her own mother threatened with arrest. Her blood boiled at the thought, but it only served to reinforce her belief in what she was fighting for. If this was what the leaders of the galaxy were fighting over when faced with an outside threat, then maybe they weren't meant to lead.

Ever since she had announced the formation of a Rebel Alliance, dozens of systems had secretly communicated their support to her, and a few others death threats. But that wasn't what she was concerned about. Now her main concern was organizing a fleet and training the future rebels. If no one knew what they were doing, they stood no chance against a military that had trained in isolation for years. Of course these tasks were made slightly more difficult with an arrest warrant for treason and several different bounties on her head. It made traveling a nightmare and logistics nearly impossible to deal with, but nothing would stop her. The Mon Calamari had _very_ generously donated a command ship called _Home One_ , and Leia was planning it's integration as the new mobile headquarters. Whatever this Imperial sympathizer group was, she would stop it before it could harm the galaxy, or at least until it came to its senses.

She just hoped it wouldn't be too late.

* * *

 _Tython_

After the second fistfight broke out on the Senate floor, Luminara had dismissed the Padawans so the Knights and Masters could have a discussion.

"Given recent events it's not unreasonable to assume that our presence will be requested in many more systems. If this does escalate into warfare beyond the political sphere, we'll need to have a plan on how we'll address it before that moment arrives. If anyone has any ideas at this moment, please share them."

The room was silent, each Jedi lost in their own thoughts on the sudden political tension. Many of the older Jedi had thought the galaxy would learn it's lesson, while the younger were shocked that their government would ever behave this way.

"Clearly Leia is right. No matter which side you agree with, the galaxy has lost contact with an entire sector due to an unknown hostile force, and it has to be investigated," Luke said. Several of the Jedi nodded in agreement, boosting Luke's confidence and giving him a slight sense of relief.

"But what if this does escalate to warfare? Our numbers are smaller than they were during the Clone Wars, and we were spread thin then," Shaak Ti countered. "I don't think there's any doubt of here Leia's credibility. I think a bigger problem is that the Order's strength has been significantly diminished the past week. Given our lack of knowledge about your father's condition, I think we really need to consider how much we can really take on at this point. It's obvious that in one way or another the Sith have either returned or are influencing this new group, whoever they may be."

"This is a lot to take in. Let's reconvene tomorrow, sleep will do us much good," Luminara said after another silence stretched on for far too long.

As the Council dismissed, Obi-Wan and Luke headed down to the Archives to do research as they had promised. While it had been a victory for Luke to know that the Jedi still supported his sister despite the fact she had been the first to willingly leave the Order, their precarious situation was something he hadn't considered.

 _Leia is smart, she'll be able to hold out until she can get assistance,_ Luke thought to himself. There wasn't much more he could do for Leia, now his father needed him, and he would read every book in the Archives if he had to if it meant finding the cure.

* * *

 **Thank you to everyone for your support! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

* * *

 _Hoth_

If their intel was right, the Imperial Remnant would be making an appearance any day now. Leia Skywalker had spent the past few days on _Home One_ , making sure all systems were operational and properly integrated with other Rebel ships. There were too few of them for any sort of miscommunication from command to weaken them.

"Leading a rebellion not as exciting as you thought it would be?" Captain Lykan joked, sliding her a hot cup of java.

"Technical readouts have a certain charm," Leia said dryly, taking a sip of the delicious beverage. "Is this Felucian?"

"Only the best. And you should know the Manda'lor sent us a diplomatic cable that roughly translates to 'I told you so'."

"Naturally," Leia chuckled. Mandalore had maintained their neutrality after the Separatists had rejoined the Republic, and now it appeared there would be a boon in demand for their skills. "Anything else terribly important?"

"Nothing that we haven't already been made aware of the past few days," Lykan sighed. For nearly a week the Rebellion had maintained it's position near Hoth, certain the Imperial Remnant would pass by them. All their previous intelligence pointed to it, and there was no reason for them to deviate from their current course. All the Rebels had been trained as much as equipment and manning allowed, although Leia had no doubt they were finding unofficial ways to hone their skills. The only trouble seemed to be with the pilots, as most who had fought in true space battles were past their prime, and the others were smugglers or commercial pilots.

"Has anyone else had a bounty placed on their head?"

"Not that I'm aware of. You're still sitting at a hefty two million credits, alive of course. I'm only a paltry 100,000," Lykan said, mock disappointment in his voice.

"I'm sure things will change once the Republic realizes what's coming. Is there any word on when we can drop the readouts we've been getting?"

"They're still working on something that will get it picked up in all systems."

"That's what they said two weeks ago," Leia grumbled, staring out into space. Lykan opened his mouth to reply, when one of the technicians burst in.

"General Skywalker, three star destroyers just dropped out of hyperspace!"

"Scramble all the fighters, and get the bombers ready," Leia said immediately. "Get Dodonna to the bridge."

* * *

 _Tython_

When he had first left Naboo, Luke was certain he had done the right thing to go back to the Jedi Temple and try to figure out why his father refused to wake up. But here he was, a week later, and the words on the page were starting to run together.

"Time to take a break?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Sometimes Master Kenobi, I feel like you're reading my mind," Luke said, jumping up from the table.

The two made their way through the Temple to the gardens, each lost in their own train of thought. Ever since the attack, the Temple had a severe air about it, and Luke still wasn't used to it.

"Is this what things were like during the Clone Wars?" he asked, surprising Obi-Wan.

"Hmm? Well, yes, somewhat. Of course back then there were more Jedi, and there was far more fighting. Fortunately, we haven't had to intervene on that level yet," Obi-Wan said. Luminara had been able to keep talks on Chandrila civil, but he wasn't sure how much longer that would last.

"Do you think they're going to happen again?"

"Yes. Now more than ever, now that we know a Sith is behind it," Obi-Wan said ruefully. "Maybe not along the same lines, but another war nonetheless."

* * *

 _Chandrila_

Padme Amidala paced anxiously in the safe house, waiting for Mothma and Bail to arrive. Things had quickly descended into chaos in the past few hours, and Captain Typho had moved her for her own protection.

"Padme?" she heard Bail call from the other side of the villa.

"Bail, are you alright?" she asked, nearly running down the stairs to meet him. Much to her relief, Mon Mothma and Breha were with him.

"I'm fine."

"We came as quick as we could," Breha said, giving her a quick embrace.

"Have you heard anything from the rest of the old delegation?" Padme asked. A year ago she wouldn't have thought the old Delegation of 2000 would ever see the light of day, but now...

"Split right down the middle," Mothma said grimly. "Surprisingly enough, some of my colleagues from old Separatist worlds are asking if I know if any ways to support your daughters rebellion."

"Has anyone contacted you, Padme?" Breha asked.

"No. I've been to afraid to turn my holo on," Padme admitted.

"Well we'll have to take a look," Breha said, holding out her hand.

"Fine," Padme said. Within seconds of it powering on, it began to ping incessantly, notifications from the past few hours only stacking up on top of each other.

Bail let out a low whistle before moving towards the kitchen, returning with a bottle of Savarian brandy.

"Patch whoever's with us through," Padme said, guiding her guests towards the living room. "It's time to make a plan."

* * *

Moments later, the majority of senators were transmitting, each seemingly in their own form of a safe house.

"Well, we all know why we're here," Bail said, cutting straight to the chase. "It appears we've fallen back into our old ways, and the Republic is beginning to fall apart."

"What can we do about it? Several of these factors are outside of our control, unless Senator Amidala is in touch with her daughter," Fang Zar said, staring directly at Padme.

"I have no way of contacting Leia Skywalker. Her address to the galaxy was the last I heard from her," Padme said quickly. She knew there were whispers about whether or not she had inspired her daughters insurrection, and she was going to put those rumors to rest.

"I agree. We have no control over whether or not worlds believe there is a threat from a group of Separatist sympathizers," Giddean Danu said.

"It does seem difficult, my friends, but we have enough resources between all of our worlds to make up for it," Bail said.

"I don't see how a fourth of the planets in the galaxy could cover for everyone else," Zar retorted.

"What do the Jedi believe right now?" Danu asked, his holographic eyes zeroing in on Padme. "Do they believe the threat is credible? Are they involved?"

"Right now I think the Jedi have enough on their plate trying to get their own house in order," Mon Mothma cut in. "Master Unduli has managed to keep the Senators composed, but there's riots on Raxus at this very moment, their courthouse is in flames!"

A shock wave went through the room as each senator asked their staff to verify the events, and another when they were all confirmed.

"The question is whether or not we will stand up for ourselves!" Padme snapped. "At this very moment we're doing the same thing we did during the Clone Wars. We waited too long to act when we saw the warning signs, and our government nearly became an Empire! It doesn't matter what the Jedi believe, or whether or not other planets were help us, because we didn't have their help last time. We're the only ones who shape our destiny, and it's time to start acting like!" Breathing heavily, Padme stopped to catch her breath, waiting for the others to react.

The room fell silent, because they were processing what she said or out of shock she didn't care anymore. The more she interacted with her fellow politicians, the more understanding she was of Leia's breakaway.

 _I wish I were back on Lothal_ , at least there her largest worry was whether or not the school would be finished on time.

"Senator Amidala is right, our current government isn't being proactive, and the strategies we used last time won't be effecting," Breha said, the first one to break the silence. "All of our planets have our own militaries, there's no reason we can't take our own precautions."

"I agree," Zar said.

"Unfortunately it also appears Tynnra Pamlo isn't dealing with this adequately either, and I've already heard of plans to call for a vote of no-confidence," Bail said, causing another round of murmurs to go through the room. "I think it would be best if we chose our own leader, one we could all get behind, and convince other worlds to vote for."

"I think we're getting a little ahead of ourselves there, first we need to see if all of us together is even enough strength to hold off the sympathizers," Zar interjected. "There's still much more that needs to be planned."

"Very well," Bail agreed. "Lets take three days to assess our military capabilities and how much we can prepare them for the coming conflict, and go from there."

A few other smaller matters had to be wrapped up, and soon everyone had signed off, the room much quieter than before.

"Looks like we're back at it," Mon Mothma said, getting up from her seat. "I'm afraid I've got to go back, no doubt the Prime Minister will want to know what we plan to do."

"Before you go, there's one more thing I think the four of us should discuss," Bail said, also rising from his seat. "I think Padme should be the leader of this movement."

"Bail please," Padme protested. "My daughter just started a rebellion, do you really think I'm the best face for our delegation? I had my shot at leadership after the Clone Wars, I did what needed to be done and no one has bothered me since. I've represented Lothal for the past seven years, I don't have the contacts I used to."

"Which is why you'd be perfect. For the most part you've kept yourself out of any recent major controversies, and everyone remembers you as the person who reunited the Republic."

"But not everyone wanted to be reunited," Padme countered.

"Just promise me you'll think on it?"

"Alright."

"I think he's right Padme. Some familiarity in all of this would be nice," Breha said. Her holo beeped and she looked down in shock. Without a word she cast it to the holoport in the middle of the room, the news anchors face appearing on the display.

"Coming in live from Takodana, a fleet of rebel ships has just dropped from hyperspace. We've received no communications from the ships, and no one on the ground seems to know why they're here. Could this be an impending attack, or a Rebellion show of force? Tune in at-,"

Breha turned off the holo, sensing it was going to be nothing but speculation.

"Leia really hasn't contacted you?" Bail asked, his voice flat.

"She hasn't."

* * *

 _Takodana_

Leia Skywalker was in shock. While they hadn't known what strategies to expect from the Imperial Remnant, the brutality was certainly far from the worst. Everyone was still reeling from what they had just witnessed. Transports mercilessly strafed, medical supply ships bombarded, fighters materializing out of nowhere to take out entire squadrons. It had completely blind-sided the rebels, and now they had to figure out a way around it. Their numbers had easily been cut in half, especially their pilots, which was why they had come to Takodana. Maybe there'd be some smugglers here who remembered the Clone Wars, and didn't want a totalitarian government cracking down on their activities.

It was desperate and Leia knew it, but who knew if there were some undiscovered flying prodigy waiting for them? They didn't have many other places to look. So while their remaining fighters ran interference on the other side of the planet, Leia's transport touched down, ready to do some recruiting.

* * *

"You're sure he's the one?" Leia asked, raising her eyebrows in disbelief.

"I know my good smugglers, and normally I'm not so keen on sharing my best ones," the Iridionian said sharply.

"Thank you, again," Leia said politely, slipping away from the bar and over to the scruffy man he had pointed out.

"So I hear you're a pilot?" Leia said innocently, temporarily blocking his path to another drink.

"One might say that," he said, smiling. "And to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

"I need a good pilot, someone who knows his way around a star destroyer."

"Good? I'm the best pilot this side of the Corellian Run! And what are you doing with a star destroyer? That sounds like it'll have some extra fees, I'm not keen on getting into any Republican entanglements."

"They're not Republican."

"No... don't tell me you're one of those loons I've been hearing about who thinks there's Wild Space boogeymen coming for us."

"They're not boogeymen you-," Leia held her tongue, not wanting to insult this allegedly excellent pilot too much. "All we need is someone who's willing to train our pilots for a couple of weeks, and we've got quite a secure hideaway."

"Is that why you're here on Takodana? Wasn't your fleet a couple of clicks over, somebody chase you all the way over here?"

"You know I don't think I need your scruffy face wandering around my base. I think the Zabrak over there would be more than happy to take my credits, he seems up to the challenge, and he'd do a better job at that."

"Whoa lady, you're walking away from the guy who did the Corellian Run in less than 12 parsecs, your people won't learn from anyone better," the man protested, jogging to keep up with her as she walked away. Leia sighed and turned around.

"Is that a deal?" she asked, arching her eyebrow.

"Sure is," he said, stretching out his hand. "Han Solo, at your service."

* * *

It didn't take them much longer to round up a few more potential instructors and several dozen pilot hopefuls. Satisfied they had a suitable number of people for the mission, the rebels slowly filtered out, Han and Leia staying behind to scout out any more recruits.

"You know beautiful, I don't think you ever told me your name," Han teased.

"I'm surprised you don't recognize me, I'm rather famous around these parts," Leia dead-panned. She gave the cantina one last lookaround, checking for anyone they may have missed, or perhaps some new arrivals.

"Are you an actress or something?"

"You know you're insufferable."

"You're not exactly a delight to be around either," Han retorted. "People normally come to cantinas to let loose a little bit."

"I think we're done here-," Leia said, stepping back from the bar, when her gut told her to duck. She ducked under the counter, pulling Han down with her as a series of blaster shots flew above their heads. The two returned fire, Leia hesitantly noticing the pilot had rather good aim. She had thought her disguise would keep her from being noticed, but evidently that didn't work out.

 _Seems to have fooled Han at least, even if he's not the sharpest._

"Quick this way!" Han shouted, tugging her towards an overturned table, behind some twi'leks who were also firing at the attackers.

"No! We're not running away!" she shouted back, grabbing his arm. Peeking over the bar, she could see they were both bounty hunters, and none of them seemed to have the weapons set to stun.

"We need to get out of here!" Han hissed.

"I'm not-," Leia began, her voice trailing off when she saw an Imperial Remnant ship land outside.

"To the ship?" Han asked sarcastically.

* * *

"You fly on that bucket of bolts?" Leia nearly shouted when he pointed to his jalopy freighter. "You're braver than I thought."

She wasn't going to pick just any pilot to instruct her troops, and while he certainly didn't strike her as the bravest, flying in this hunk of junk took some sort of guts.

"You think making a suicidal stand against ten bounty hunters is brave?" Han shot back, already halfway up the ramp. "Come on, you want to get shot into oblivion?"

"I'll be fine," she shouted back, "get the ship ready!" Not waiting on a response, Leia took a few steps forward and holstered her pistol.

 _She's insane_ , Han thought as he sat in the pilots seat, shouting instructions at Chewie. _If I didn't owe Jabba so much money, and if he didn't put such a nice bounty on my head, I wouldn't have to spend the next few weeks with this crazy woman_.

Down on the ground, Leia rolled her eyes. She could sense his agitation in the Force, and now she found herself wondering if she hadn't made a mistake in hiring him.

 _Too late now_ , she thought as the Imperial Remnant troops approached. When the pointman raised his weapon to fire, Leia activated her lightsaber, easily deflecting the bolt. It felt so good to be able to use her lightsaber after all this time of hiding and fighting on ships. To use it in the cantina would have been unwise to say the least, but out here, her only concern was the Imperials. Lunging forward, she began to take them down one by one, clearly none of them had been trained in how to take on a Jedi, and none of them seemed to expect it either.

She heard the engines kick into gear, and knew Han was planning to take off, with or without her. With one final Force push that sent her opponents sprawling to the ground, Leia leaped up onto the ramp, closing it behind her.

* * *

 **As always, please leave any thoughts/comments/questions/concerns!**


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

* * *

 _CHANDRILA_

"I would like to introduce a vote of no confidence against President Pamlo!" Shasofi shouted over the three way argument between him and the Senators from Lorrd and Onderon, causing even more pandemonium.

"Order! Order please!" Tynnra Pamlo's voiced echoed around the chamber, to no avail.

 _This is exactly what the assembly was like before the Clone Wars,_ Padme thought grimly. News had just broken that Pamlo had authorized a Republic naval force to go and engage the unidentified ships, presumed to be rebels, over Takodana. In addition to the response, former Separatist worlds were to be placed under martial law due to increasing violent acts across the galaxy. The sudden escalation of events had only served to aggravate those worlds, and now the assembly was out of control.

"The Core Worlds are facing unsustainable growth and they're trying to take our resources! Do you think it's a coincidence all of these bombings occur not long before Leia Skywalker decides to create a runaway movement? The Core Worlds are trying to make it look like we're starting another war. Are you really going to fall for these false-flag attacks?" Shasofi yelled, his voice becoming hoarse.

"I think you're insane!" Yasdor retorted. "You're just trying to cover up your own support for her so-called group! You would love to see the Republic worlds destroyed after we took over Raxus!"

"You think that's what this is about? That wouldn't do any good, the Core Worlds would just get their grubby hands in all the reparations money again, they'd be rebuilt in less than a year! We're tired of being the scapegoats and the resource colonies you've used us as for the past twenty years! We don't want to be slaves to your greed anymore!"

"Order please!" Pamlo said again, exasperated.

"We've had enough of your order! Every three years something happens to put our worlds on lock-down, but where were the terror attacks last year? Alderaan! Never saw an announcement of martial law there!" Dozens of senators whooped in agreement, shouting unintelligible things at the President.

Tired of the endless back and forth, Padme floated her pod down between the two groups.

"Senators please, there has to be a more civil way to resolve this," she said calmly, looking at each senator individually.

"Oh look, another Republic world here to tell us what to do," Hobbsho sneered.

"I don't pretend to know what's best for Raxus, but we fought a war over similar issues and clearly it didn't give anyone the results they wanted," Padme answered.

"The Core Worlds sure made us their lackeys again," Hobbsho said, lowering his voice since the chamber had gone quiet in order to listen. "There are cities on my planet that are still half rubble, because the Core Worlds are withholding funds, yet they think we're wealthy enough to fund a rebel group?" he scoffed. "This martial law is ludicrous."

"I agree that martial law is an extreme measure, and I oppose it. We haven't received confirmation yet on the identities of the ships at Takodana, we should wait and gauge our reaction to what's happening. As for your reparation funds, when was the last time you received them?"

"We got 1 billion credits for the capital 5 years ago, and nothing since. Every time we ask for answers they say something is wrong with our eligibility, or there was a problem channeling the funds. The young people on my planet can hardly believe we were the leaders of an entire movement, we've been so left behind."

"I'll make sure someone gets funds to your planet as quickly as possible. And we should audit the Reparation Committee to see where all of your funds have been going. Truce, for now?" Padme asked, extending her hand. Hobbsho examined it for a moment, before relenting and shaking it.

"I'll expect to hear from your office shortly."

"Of course." Padme returned her pod to it's dock, and Tynnra Pamlo cleared her throat, the sound reverberating in the now silent hall.

"As for the vote of no confidence, have the coalitions chosen their candidates?"

"The Far Rim coalition nominates Jerda Poisaj of Yavin-4."

"The Hydian Group nominates Rioran Yasdor of Kuat."

"The Serenno coalition nominates Izabren Hobbsho of Raxus."

"The Delegation of 2000 nominates Padme Amidala."

Whispers echoed at Padme's nomination, and finally one of the senators spoke up.

"Why nominate her?" Yasdor challenged. "Her daughter has already committed treason, why should we trust her at all?"

"Padme Amidala's long career in public service demonstrates nothing but loyalty to the Republic, including keeping it from falling apart the first few years of reformation," Bail said smoothly. "We have forensic evidence that Senator Amidala has no more contact with her daughter than the galactic public, and had no idea of her intentions to break away."

"She's loyal to the Core Worlds, you mean," Shasofi interrupted.

"I think her past twenty years trying to rebuild all the planets of the Republic, and what you've seen here today, shows she is above the bias of former Republic and Separatist worlds."

The slight buzz in the assembly hall rose to a roar as the senators debated among themselves the nominations, Izabren Hobbsho receiving a considerable amount of attention as well.

"Is the Senate ready to vote?" Tynnra Pamlo asked, and Padme could feel her eyes staring at her from 100 yards away. No doubt she thought she had somehow orchestrated this. The Senate quieted down and began to vote, a soft chime going off each time a vote was cast. Ten minutes later, a hologram appeared in the middle of the hall and began to tally the votes. What started off as a gray circle began to fill with the color of the delegations, as each candidate took up more and more of the percentage of the vote. Poisaj capped off at 15%, which was probably the vote of her entire delegation, and Rioran Yasdor's portion stopped growing at a meager 12%, leaving 73% of the vote up for grabs.

Padme looked at Bail anxiously as her and Hobbsho's portions grew steadily, dramatically winding down as the last 100 votes were tallied.

"And the new President of the Republic is... Padme Amidala, with 47.6% of the vote," the computer announced, causing a great uproar in the chambers. Whether it was protest or joy Padme honestly couldn't tell as the spotlight beamed down on her, her pod slowly descending to the President's.

Following the custom of newly elected presidents, Padme stepped onto the president's podium with Pamlo's assistance, and the two shook hands. Then Padme helped Pamlo into the pod for the Telos delegation, and turned to address the Senate.

"Senators, I am as surprised as you are that I was elected your president today," she said, the protesters falling silent as she began to speak. "I truly do believe the galaxy has the ability to heal from the fighting of the past thirty years, and I know we can all resolve these problems peacefully as long as we all keep an open heart. As my first order of business, I would like to nominate Izabren Hobbsho of Raxus as my Prime Minister, with the approval of the Senate. Second, I move to suspend martial law on the former Separatist worlds. Thirdly, the Republican Navy is not to take any hostile actions against the unidentified fleet at Takodana until contact and identification is attempted."

A series of shouts broke out in the chambers as Core Worlds opposed the measures that were 'too lenient' on the former Separatist worlds, and the former Separatist worlds were cheering on the new propositions.

"Ma'am, may we speak a moment in private?" one of the advisors whispered in Padme's ear. Looking around at the hectic auditorium, Padme nodded as she activated the silencing shield.

"What's your name?" Padme asked.

"I'm Arin Gnaij," the Quarren said, "the military advisor. I'm afraid our ships have already made the jump to hyper space, and depending on what they encounter at Takodana, they may not have time to receive our message. We'll have to convene in the war room if we want to communicate with them as efficiently as possible."

"Alright. Go get things ready, I'll join you soon. Is it still in the same place?"

"Yes, Mrs. President," with that he lowered himself into one of the side pods and headed off.

"Senators," Padme said, turning to face the assembly. "I'm afraid some urgent business calls me elsewhere. I think we've left enough on the table to discuss, we will reconvene tomorrow morning." More arguments followed but the presidential podium was already descending.

* * *

 _TAKODANA_

"Where did they go?" Leia asked, looking out at what had seconds ago been a vicious battle. Now only the wreckage of blasted apart ships and the remains of the rebel fleet were completely alone in space. A few of the ships were still flying around, looking for where the next attack would come from.

"General Skywalker, five Republic star destroyers just dropped out of hyperspace," one of the technicians said urgently.

"Tell everyone to hold their fire," Leia said, pulling up the radar on her display. "And patch me through to the star destroyers." No wonder the Imperial Remnant had turned tail, they didn't want to be caught engaging Rebel forces just yet.

"They're not responding."

"The fleet just dropped out of hyperspace, they're probably swamped with messages," Lykan argued. "Keep trying."

"Something isn't right," Leia murmured. Republic protocol was to attempt to contact targets, and this was quite clearly the command ship. "Set a course for Scarif, we'll regroup at Vandor."

"What if they-," Lykan didn't have time to finish his sentence, as the first shot from the star destroyers rocked their ship.

"Jump to hyperspace now!" Leia barked, strapping herself in. Already she could see the heavies begin to make the jump as the fighters covered them, each one peeling off the second they got the chance. "No one is to fire on a Republic ship."

"Yes ma'am," the technician said, transmitting before _Home One_ made the jump.

* * *

 _TYTHON_

Luke looked around the main hall, wondering what had happened for them to call everyone together like this. Obi-Wan had been called out of the library an hour beforehand, and now he had a solemn look on his face. Clearly something bad had happened, but what was it? Luke hoped with all his heart they weren't about to be plunged to another war, but he wasn't getting much reassurance from his mentor.

"Everyone please, quiet down," Luminara said, the whispers in the hall quickly going silent. Pausing, she cleared her throat before continuing. "Today we have some news. First, Padme Amidala has been elected President of the Republic after a vote of no confidence against Tynnra Pamlo. Second, we have received news that the Galactic Senate has officially declared the Rebellion a threat to the Republic, and is issuing an order that all rebels be apprehended, dead or alive. The Council is working to lighten the severity of the final measure, however, it means we are at war. No mention has been made of the group the Sith Lord is influencing on the edge of the galaxy, and so the Jedi Order cannot confidently stand by the Republic while a Sith is moving about freely. As a result, we have decided that while we offer our services to the Republic in conflict remediation for internal matters, we cannot in good conscience allow them to chase down the only group that is combating this Sith Lord. As a result, we will be aiding the Rebellion when their cause is just, however we will not condone or participate in any direct actions they may take against the Republic. We will be dealing with a much more aggressive mission schedule, and therefore bringing back the rotation systems. Please find your Masters and you will discuss what this change will mean for you individually. May the Force be with you."

Commotion broke out in the hall as soon as she finished speaking, and Luke pressed his way through the crowd to Obi-Wan, who now looked much older than Luke remembered.

"Obi-Wan, what else is she not saying?" Luke asked as soon as they were out of earshot of the others.

"Not much, except that the Senate seems to be getting closer to a total collapse every day. Hopefully your mother will be able to prevent that," Obi-Wan sighed, leaning against a boulder. "We're supposed to go to directly to Sullust, but I've arranged for a pit stop on Naboo under the pretense of visiting your mother before she moves to Chandrila."

"No one knows my father is on Naboo?"

"No, the Order thinks it's best to keep his location a secret in case Windu acts again. There's a debate on whether leaving him in hiding on Naboo will be more secure now that your mother will be gone, or if he would be safer here on Tython," Obi-Wan mused. "But we've got a whole flight to think of that. Get your things together, we're leaving in two hours."

"Yes, Master," Luke said obediently, bowing as he spoke. As he walked back to his room he really began to process what he had just been told. The Jedi Order was going into a halfway alliance with his sister's rebel group, yet also maintaining allegiance to some parts of the Republic his mother was now in charge of, while his father still laid in a coma on Naboo. Now more than ever he wished he could reach out to Leia in the Force, but she had cut herself off, no doubt for what she thought was their own protection. Windu was planning something big, Luke knew it, and they would all need to band together to defeat him. The last time the galaxy was this divided, it almost fell into the hands of the Sith Lord.

 _And that was when dad was here to stop him,_ Luke thought grimly. But the Jedi Order was stronger now, more aware. There may be less of them than before the Clone Wars, before Order 66, but they would stop the Sith Lord in his tracks.

* * *

 _VANDOR_

"It seems we lost them somewhere in the Harrin Corridor," Lykan said, the rest of the council gathered around on _Home One_. Everyone was in far too much shock to say much, they had lost 60% of their fleet today, absolutely devastating. In space the fighters had docked themselves on the transports and had either hit the sack or the dining hall, although a few had decided to show up to the meeting, Han Solo among them, oddly enough.

"We're clearly in no position to take on the Imperial Remnant," Leia said, breaking the silence. "After the close brush they had today, they'll likely lie low and switch to more covert methods, perhaps more bombings and attacks. We do have teams trained in those areas, and I think it is crucial we deploy them now, while keeping a rotation for some to come back and train, especially as they change their methods. The next thing we need to worry about is our pilot shortage. Some of the sympathetic systems have already pledged new ships and a handful of instructors, but I think the best talent in the galaxy is already in this room." She briefly looked Han in the eyes, but quickly looked away.

"Our best bet is to set up a base at Scarif. It's close to two hyperspace lanes for a quick exit if necessary, but far enough off we won't have any unexpected guests. Ukio is one jump away and a farm world with enough of a trading presence we could obtain food and smuggle supplies through. Rishi is also nearby and while it is an undeveloped planet, it offers a wide variety of terrain we could train our ground and air crews on. I also have a list of a few other planets that would make good bases, but we can discuss those at a later date. Does anyone else have any ideas?"

"How are we going to manage this with the Republic and the Imperial Remnant hunting us down?" one of the pilots asked.

"That's a good question, with a simple answer. Absolute discretion at all times. Our operatives must give no indication of who they work for or their purpose on whatever worlds they happen to be on. No one can know our location at any time, not even your relatives. Whatever we train on is to be a secret as well. And to be frank, the Republic is facing it's own difficulties, it's why we're here in the first place. I wouldn't expect the average citizen to know much about us, and I doubt there will be much of a publicity campaign going on with all the controversy, but the Republic military and potentially the Jedi will be on their toes. We'll remain one step ahead of them, and wait for them to make a mistake."

"That's a lot easier said than done," the man countered.

"If the Imperial Remnant can hide themselves in Wild Space for twenty years, surely we can hide ourselves on a backwater planet for one," Leia said firmly. "We'll have to take extra measures, but it's nothing we can't handle. I'm sure our colleagues from the academies were trained in this." A few of the pilots nodded in agreement and Leia slapped her hands on the table.

"If there's nothing else, I'll meet you all in the bay in one hour," she said, and they began to disperse. Han Solo approached, a half-smile on his face.

"Did you say we have the best talent in the galaxy just because of me, General?"

"Is that little comment already getting to your head? Your ego must be worse than I thought," Leia said, rolling her eyes.

"Self-confidence is a healthy trait to have," Han quipped back. "So when were you planning on telling me you're a Jedi? Or is that all hush-hush?"

"It's only as hush-hush as the public record," Leia answered. "Although it doesn't seem like you're very up to speed on things."

"Only on the things that matter most, like what immediately affects me."

"Well that's a rather narrow way of living."

"To a politician maybe."

"I believe you were the one calling me general earlier," Leia said as they stepped into the dining hall.

"Your title can be whatever you want it to be, but I guess being a Jedi makes you a bit of an exception."

"I'm not a Jedi anymore," Leia repeated. "But they let me keep the lightsaber. What are you following me around for anyway?"

"Just trying to figure out what makes a girl like you from Naboo decide to commit treason against the Republic," Han said nonchalantly, wrinkling his nose at the substance that was slopped on his plate.

"It's better than it looks," Leia said. "The leaders aren't doing anything to stop whats happening because they're in denial. They don't want another war, but their inaction is only going to cause one." Han guided her over to a table further away from the cluster of people in the middle of the dining hall, not wanting anyone else to jump in on their conversation.

"Is money really the only reason you decided to join a rebellion? Treason is a rather serious charge."

"Does it surprise you that some people make decisions for less than philosophical reasons?"

"No. But you don't become one of the best smugglers in the galaxy by being simple. You've got to have some sort of drive."

"So I am one of the best pilots in the galaxy! And I'm afraid you'll have to warm me up a little bit before I go giving away all my secrets. Your rebellion may not need me anymore after that."

"Don't overestimate yourself," Leia said, looking down as her holo beeped. "Really?" she said under her breath.

"I have to go back to command, somethings going on with the Jedi. I'll see you at the bay."

"I can't wait to continue this conversation," Han called after her. Shaking his head, he turned over and saw Kilan, a pilot he had done the Corellian Run with years ago.

"Hey Kilan!" he said, making his way over.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER NINE**

* * *

 _Wild Space_

Ysanne Isard leaned back into her chair, carefully listening to her advisors words. While it was always rather obvious, to her at least, which side each one would take, she always did enjoy the small, new pieces of insight they could provide.

"If we expose ourselves now, it will be too soon and we will lose our element of surprise, as well as any sense of legitimacy we can foster with the Separatist worlds," Dia Shaasa argued.

"The Republic is already tearing itself apart from the inside, now is our time to strike," Garlen Meriet shot back.

"Are you insane? They've elected Padme Amidala as their leader. She's the only potential they have to reunite, we need to see how this plays out. If she can lure the Separatists back in we'll have to completely change our strategy."

"That's why we have to strike before she gets to Chandrila!"

"Councilors please," Ysanne said, raising her hand. "You can argue strategy with Admiral Thrawn later. What I need now are numbers and profiles."

"Yes Director," Dia said, bowing her head. "My sources report that the rebels have scattered, most likely to somewhere in the Outer Rim. We're trying to narrow it down now, but not enough of them have clustered yet to make a determination. Quite a few pilots took the Rebellion up on their offer to be instructors, but we'll see if they have the financial resources to pay them soon enough."

"Very good. Meriet?"

"Their fleet seems to be of a modest size, even after their calculated losses. They've got 102 fighters, 34 transports, 29 bombers, and 6 command centers, the largest being the Mon Calamari _Home One_. We haven't had a chance to count their ground forces, but they're likely in the 400s."

"Thank you for the counts," Ysanne said, flicking her hand and activating the holograph. "I would like to discuss the involvement of Leia Skywalker as leader of the Rebellion, does her status as a Jedi give her an advantage when the time comes for them to choose sides, or do they see her as a deserter?"

"We know some members of the Order were hurt by her decision to leave, but the majority didn't seem to feel strongly about it, so more than likely it would be a moot point for them."

"I want a full dossier on Leia Skywalker by tomorrow morning. And what's this business with her father going off the radar? I haven't been briefed on his location in ages."

"We believe he is on Tython, recovering. Witnesses reported seeing him lead out on a stretcher and he's made no public appearances. We believe the Jedi are keeping him out of the public's eye, especially with what's going on with his wife and daughter."

"Interesting, keep me updated. I understand you have a meeting the Admiral and I won't keep you," Ysanne said, rising from the table. The others followed suit and filed out, but she waved Dia back.

"I want you to have one of your sources pick a good target for 'extradition'. Make sure it's someone close enough to the high command they have some understanding of the inner circle, but not someone they would immediately mark as missing, not for the first few days at least. They shouldn't know this person is missing until it's too late."

"Yes, Madam Director."

* * *

 _Varykino, Naboo_

"Luke!" Padme exclaimed, wrapping her arms around her son. "It's so good to see you!"

"I've missed you, Mom," Luke breathed.

"It's been so lonely here without you. I feel like I saw you more when you were in training," Padme said, smiling again when she saw Obi-Wan behind him.

"Obi-Wan, it's so good to see you as well," she said, embracing him as well. She stepped back and, seeing the troubled look on Luke's face, took him by the arm. "Come on, I know you want to see your father."

Padme led them master bedroom, the room that had the best view of the lake. Inside most of the furniture had been cleared away to make room for the medical equipment that crowded around the hospital bed in the center of the room.

"How is he?" Luke asked. His father had the same still face, the same quiet presence in the Force as last time. It was unnerving, being in the room when he was like this. His father had always had a vibrant presence the rippled in the Force, unlike many of the other Jedi of his generation, their presences calm and controlled. Luke always knew when his father was nearby in the Force, and now he struggled to find him.

"The same. Two of the Healers live here to monitor his condition, but nothing ever changes," Padme said, pursing her lips as she said it. Force-sensitive or not, Padme felt the same changes Luke did, even if she wasn't aware of where it came from. It was worse than when they had been separated during the Clone Wars, she always knew she would see her energetic husband again, and this still man lying in the bed was far from that.

"This never happened during the Clone Wars? Not to anyone else?" Luke asked. He looked up at his two elders, and saw their change in demeanor at the mention of the war. Obi-Wan never liked to discuss the war much in the first place and always tensed up, and while his mother was open about the political ramifications, she never talked about what had happened to her personally, and would try to change the subject.

"I'll go get a glass of water for you two," Luke said, excusing himself. Once the door was closed, Padme turned to Obi-Wan.

"Be honest Obi-Wan, do you really think he's going to wake up?" she asked, her voice quavering.

"I can't say Padme, you know I can't. This is something not even Yoda has seen before. But I know Anakin, and I know he would never be apart from you or your children any longer than he could help. Something will call him back, I know it."

"Thank you," Padme said, embracing the Jedi Master. "I can't imagine how hard these past few months have been for you. An attack on the Temple, the bombings, it really is starting again."

"Hopefully this time we'll do something about it before it is too late. So much suffering, so little time to heal."

"Between the two of us, we'll stop it," Padme said firmly. Luke reentered the room, seeming to have forgotten the two glasses of water.

"I'll leave you two alone," Obi-Wan said, bowing slightly before leaving. The door swang shut, and Luke took a deep breath, approaching his father, his mother's hand reassuringly on his shoulder.

"I wish he would come back," Luke said, his voice breaking, "I wish the galaxy would stop fighting and everything could be like it was before."

"You know I do too, Luke," Padme said softly. "But things have changed, and we can't go back. You wanted to become a Jedi to help others, and now they need you more than ever."

"I don't know if I can help them while dad is like this."

"Of course you can."

"I miss him, I miss Leia, they left us all alone," Luke said, finally releasing the emotions he had been feeling for months. "I understand why Leia left the Order, but now she's considered a traitor to the Republic, and Dad is unresponsive. Yoda is gone, Windu is on the run with Imperials, I don't feel like I'm in the same galaxy I was living in three months ago."

"None of us did the first time around either. My planet was attacked and blockaded with no warning. I barely made it out without being captured, and felt like I was all alone, and the person I trusted then turned out to be a Sith Lord. Things change Luke, but you have to focus on what you have now, or you'll only miss it when it's gone."

"You're right, Mom. I don't know what's gotten into me."

"It's normal to feel this way, and you still will for a little while longer. But you must fight now, there's always time to rest later."

Luke nodded, his throat too constricted to speak. Padme gave him a reassuring hug and left her son alone with Anakin, knowing he needed to say goodbye.

* * *

"It's weird being in the Temple without you," Luke said, taking his father's limp hand. "The atmosphere is completely different, you'd hate it. Everyone is so solemn, worried about the future." The younger Skywalker sat down on the the chair next to the bed, leaning forward onto his knees.

"The visions were in my dreams again last night, the ones about the war. I saw them the day Yoda died, I don't think I ever got to tell you about them. I already saw when Leia discovered the Imperial Remnant, and when the Senate descended into total chaos. Between everything that's going on with you and Leia and mom, I hadn't thought about them the past few days. But I know there's going to be an insurrection on Raxus. The Order wants me to go to Sullust, but that's not where the Force wants me to be and I know it. I need to be on Raxus, to help stop something horrible from happening. And if the Order won't let me stop them, then I'll take a page out of your playbook and do it anyway."

Luke rose and looked down at his father's still form. Even if his father couldn't respond, it felt better getting all that off his chest, and Luke was sure that somehow in the Force, his father knew what he had said. Kissing his father on the forehead, Luke reached for their Force bond one more time, but once again only found the small sliver it once was.

* * *

Obi-Wan went in to see Anakin next, leaving Padme and Luke alone in the living room. Regretting he hadn't said much to his mother since he had arrived, Luke took a moment to see how she was holding up in all the chaos. His mother was reacting the same as she always did whenever something hectic was going on in the Senate, she was keeping herself busy and making sure everyone around her was as cheerful as could be. But this time there was a different energy about her, a sheer force of determination that Luke wasn't sure how to interpret.

"You don't have to look at me like that," Padme said, "I am your mother after all. Let me worry about you."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Luke asked. "I know things haven't been easy since-,"

"Luke do you think being a Senator in the Clone Wars was a cakewalk?" Padme interrupted him. "Am I worried about your father? Absolutely. Am I afraid that Leia may be arrested, or worse, killed, by Republican forces? Of course. Am I terrified that something may happen to you while you're off chasing Sith Lords and the Imperial Remnant? Yes. But if stopping something horrible from happening to at least one of you means I have to be President of the Republic, then I'll do it. I am no medical professional, and certainly no Force-sensitive. If the best doctors and the best Jedi tell me they're doing everything they can to cure my husband, then they're doing everything possible to cure my husband. If saving Leia from an awful fate in the Republic means I have to sway the public to do something to stop the impending war, I'm going to do it. And if I can get a dozen more troops to follow you into battle, then I'll do it. The results aren't going to be immediate Luke, and I think that's something you've always understood better than your sister. So please, don't worry about me. Focus on yourself, your sister, your father, and wherever or whatever the Jedi Order tells you to. I'm the President of the Republic, one of the best guarded people in the galaxy. I'll do my work from Chandrila, and you do yours wherever the Jedi are needed."

"I will, Mom," Luke said, embracing his mother again, tears welling up in his eyes. He could sense Obi-Wan approaching the living room, no doubt to tell him it was time to leave for Sullust.

"I love you," she said, a single tear running down her cheek. "May the Force be with you."

"May the Force be with you."

* * *

 **As always if you see something you like or there's something you want to change, please leave a review! :)**


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